European project focuses on sustainable and resilient egg production

The aim of project Omlette is to get poultry farmers and the poultry sector in the region to embrace solutions that actively contribute to a longer lifespan of chickens, with guaranteed animal health and welfare, egg quality and economic viability as important factors for a future-proof, resilient sector. The international project also aims to bridge the gap between egg producers and their customers, officials and consumers.

Partners

The leading partner of Omelette (optimizing and extending the lifespan of chickens to accelerate the transition to sustainable eggs) is the Experimental Poultry Center in Geel, near Antwerp, Belgium. Among the other participants are the universities of Leuven (Belgium), Osnabrück (Germany) and Bern (Switzerland), the French Agency for the Food Environment and Health and Safety at Work (ANSES) and several companies from the Netherlands and France.

The project is an initiative of Interreg North-West Europe, based in Lille, France. The EU provided 3.7 million euros of the total budget of 6.3 million euros. The project will run until 2028.

Laying poultry sector, government, consumers

Omelette wants to reach 3 important target groups: the laying poultry sector, local governments and consumers, explains project manager Nathalie Sleeckx of the Belgian Poultry Center.

“Firstly, targeted training programs and broad communications will be aimed at current and future farmers and their advisors to increase knowledge and change behavior so that sustainable chicken longevity becomes standard practice in future-proof, resilient North West European egg production.” she said.

“Next, Omelette will try to bridge the gap between farmers and local governments and between farmers and consumers. Demonstrations at pilot locations aimed at authorities or consumers will increase knowledge about the origin of eggs, about the challenges but also about the efforts already undertaken by the sector, leading to greater awareness and easier dialogue between all parties involved,” she added.

Support for the GM sector

Sleeckx added that the Omelet project aims to support the egg producing sector in Northwestern Europe in its development towards future-proof, sustainable and resilient. “Chicken longevity will be an important part of this evolution, with a strong emphasis on animal health and welfare. Although the region is important for egg production, the sector faces both territorial and common EU challenges. Combining all the requirements in terms of sustainability, environment, animal health and animal welfare makes it quite a challenge. In Omelette, the eleven partners will collaborate transnationally to bring together multidisciplinary knowledge and skills needed to jointly overcome obstacles and drive the adoption of chicken longevity in the field.”

Technology

Furthermore, smart digitalization will be integrated and enhanced to improve individual behavioral monitoring and follow-up of the entire herd. A structured and formal approach to continuous improvement will result in more proactive management that directly improves the chicken’s lifespan, the partners hope.

Proactive agricultural management will be achieved by driving motivational changes among farmers and advisors to embrace smart digitalization and evidence-based decision making. This allows emerging areas of concern to be identified at an early stage and (preventive) interventions can be carried out at an early stage, resulting in a more sustainable lifespan and animal welfare.

The value of eggs

Deputy Governor for Agriculture of the Province of Antwerp Kathleen Helsen: “The egg is more than a breakfast snack. With an average consumption of 210 eggs per person per year in our region, the importance of eggs can hardly be underestimated. Here in the province of Antwerp, in this Interreg Omelet project we strive for international knowledge sharing in order to evolve towards future-proof, resilient and sustainable egg production in Northwestern Europe. The partners will address current and future poultry farmers with targeted training and varied communication. Together we can achieve a sustainable lifespan for poultry.”