Chicken is part of a more sustainable food production going forward
Long-term sustainable food production is an essential factor in the fight against the climate crisis. Food production accounts for a significant part of climate emissions, but on the other hand, we cannot do without it. At Scandi Standard, we believe chicken can be part of the solution that reduces the food industry's climate impact.
To increase transparency and contribute to reducing the climate footprint in our own value chain, Scandi Standard has carried out extensive work with mapping and calculations of climate impact.
— We have worked with the independent organization the Carbon Trust to measure, calculate and third-party certify the carbon footprint at product level throughout the value chain, from farm to fork. Our most significant climate impact concerns feed production and how efficiently the chicken converts feed into meat. Replacing soy with local protein sources would reduce the climate impact and promote local agricultural production, says Ida Ljungkvist, Head of Sustainability at Scandi Standard.
“We must keep getting better”
Several scientific studies show that chicken has a significantly lower climate impact compared to red meat. Swedish chicken has also reduced its climate footprint by almost 20 percent in just over ten years. At the same time, it is not enough, says Ida Ljungkvist:
— It’s good, but we must keep getting better. We know where the impact on the climate is most significant in the value chain. With that knowledge, we can implement the proper measures in the right place and ensure that chicken is a crucial part of more sustainable food production moving forward.
A climate label from the Carbon Trust is added to the packaging of products that have certified climate calculations.
— As a market leader, we want to increase transparency and take clear leadership in the industry in the underway green transition, says Ida Ljungkvist.
Focus on sustainability and animal welfare yields results
Long-term sustainable chicken production is about good animal welfare throughout the value chain – through clear guidelines, follow-up, and systematic work.
— We work every day to improve and develop our work with animal welfare. We have defined eight factors that affect animal welfare, and all work is anchored in these factors. It’s about everything from optimizing ventilation in the chicken houses, to developing the collection and analysis of data, says Emilia Biskop, Live Operations Specialist at Kronfågel, Scandi Standard’s subsidiary in Sweden.
Semmi Hagdahl, Live Operations manager at Kronfågel, says that the work with animal welfare takes place in close dialogue with the growers.
— The growers know how good animal welfare practices on the farm generates sustainable and efficient production and thus also good profitability. They are experts in animal welfare and when we work together it is at its best, says Semmi Hagdahl.
About the Carbon Trust’s Calculations
The Carbon Trust’s analysis includes the entire production chain from “cradle to grave,” which is a more comprehensive calculation method than many others. The “cradle to gate” calculation is often used and ends at the slaughterhouse gate, but excludes, for example, packaging, distribution and usage, as well as the cooking of the product. The Carbon Trust’s calculations include the climate impact from changes in land use related to, for example, soy production.
