The cost of meat and eggs is closely linked to the type of farming. The poultry industry has over the years (for about 70 years) selected the strongest and least demanding poultry breeds. Today’s farm animals have developed characteristics that make them ‘efficient’, i.e. they need to eat and drink less. And these breeds are the most bred. This affects the final costs and not least the environmental impact. However, associations opposed to protected breeding are pushing for farms to move towards longer animal life cycles. This is possible thanks to the knowledge that the sector has developed in scientific research, which, in order to meet these demands, can select breeds that reach the required weight in almost twice the time (and are therefore defined as slow-growing). This entails practically double the breeding costs (more time, more feed, more space to obtain the same quantity of chickens). What is also happening with this type of breeding called for by animal welfare associations is a considerable increase in the environmental impact caused by those particular breeds whose meat is therefore more expensive not only for the consumer, but also because of the higher environmental impact. It is important that those who buy that type of meat are fully aware that the higher cost is therefore the result of choices imposed on the poultry system by pressure from associations.
