Bio eggs

Bodenhaltung eier
Freilandhaltung eier
Bodenhaltung in english

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The meat issue: how to implement a planetary health diet in society

By Antonia Löchner

Introduction

The meat issue is an important topic in the discussion of the climate change. Alone in Germany 763 million animals(1) are consumed yearly and meat production makes up, 70% of greenhouse gas emission of our whole food production(2). And it can directly be linked to up to 9 SDGs. There are many consequences to our desire for animal products anytime and as much as we want. The main 5 problems being 1) Greenhouse gas emission, 2) Water waste, 3) Animal cruelty, 4) Loss of biodiversity and 5) Health impact.

The 5 main problems our meat consumption causes

1. Greenhouse Gas emission

It’s estimated that about 18% of global greenhouse emission can be attributed to the lifestock sector. It’s responsible for “one tenth of global emissions of CO2, plus 35–40 per cent of methane emissions and 65 per cent of nitrous oxide. Both methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) have a much greater global warming potential, by unit volume, than does CO2.“ Methane is estimated to be 70 times more

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Eggs in German Supermarkets decoded

Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash

Eggs come in wide varieties. The labels and descriptions on the egg boxes often contain so many industry terms and marketing jargon that confuse the customer.

Today, I am writing about the different types of eggs available in German Supermarkets, how to identify them and understand what the labels mean.

The four types that we commonly see are:

Ökologische Erzeugung : These are organic eggs. The hens are kept in the open and not in cages. No more than 3000 hens are allowed in the barn, and no more than six are kept in one square meter. The fat in their feed comes from ecologically produced vegetable oils. Also, the other feed comes from certified organic suppliers who grow the grain without using herbicides, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers.

Freilandhaltung: These are free-range eggs. Here again, the hens are not kept in cages. They have access to green open space of at least four sqm per hen, most of which is covered with greenery. But in the barn, they have less space. Here, nine hens are kept in

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Hans-Torsten Richter answers your questions about surviving and thriving in Berlin. Write to [email protected].

Q Dear Hans-Torsten: I’m no vegan, but I’d still like to make sure I’m eating ethically. So please help me out: what’s the difference between Neuland, Freiland and bio meat? And what’s up with all those different codes on German eggs? —Mary

A Dear Mary: Let’s tackle the eggs first. Virtually all eggs in Germany are stamped with a Erzeugercode (producer code) that allows you to trace the egg to the farm from which it came. If you’re curious, you can type in the code at www.was-steht-auf-dem-ei.de to find out your eggs’ exact origins.

But the most important part of the code is the first digit. A “0” means bio, and organic hens are surely the happiest of the bunch. According to the certification rules, they have the most barn space each (1.66sqm) and at least 4sqm of outdoor space to run around in, and are fed only certified organic feed. Even within the bio classification, though, welfare var