believes that the growing demand for
food and fuel, combined with limited
resources, means that producers will be
asked even more questions from their
clients and will be called on to justify
how conscientiously they are using the
world’s resources. Mulder predicts great
potential for the egg industry due to its
e;ciency and flexibility.
Could the solution be round?
During the three-day conference,
IEC delegates learned more about
the many challenges facing their
industry: the demands from
retailers and consumers to be more
environmentally conscientious;
the need to produce more eggs to
feed the growing population; the
increasing pressure from animal
welfare groups; and the new
regulations in the EU and parts of the
US banning conventional cages.
There is no doubt that meeting
all of these demands from the
The next IEC
conference is being
held in Washington
D.C., 18 – 22
September 2011.
many stakeholders is a di;cult
challenge, but the egg industry
is well placed to succeed. Ruud
Zanders, from The Netherlands,
addressed the conference and
presented an innovative new hen
housing concept, the Rondeel.
The Rondeel is a completely new
housing system that was designed
in The Netherlands after lengthy
consultations with all stakeholders,
including the public, farmers,
animal welfare groups, retailers and
legislators. It is the only non-organic
product to be awarded a three star
status for animal welfare.
Future opportunities
Despite the many challenges
facing the industry, those within it
are confident that the egg industry’s
future is excellent. Chad Gregory,
from the United States' United
Egg Producers, closed the London
conference telling delegates: “The
egg industry’s future is incredible;
the opportunities are incredible. We
have a very a;ordable, high-quality
protein source that’s probably the
most e;cient of anything in animal
agriculture for taking inputs and
turning them into a high quality
protein; our environmental carbon
footprint is the best of anyone. There
are so many positives that our industry
has to tell, and so many incredible
opportunities. We can help to feed
the world’s growing population. Eggs
are a fantastic product.” □
VAL-CO™ Solutions For Poultry Production
VAL-CO is a full-line manufacturer of high-quality systems and components for commercial poultry and egg production. To guarantee performance you can count on, all VAL-CO products are expertly designed and manufactured with the end-user in mind. Our worldwide presence and commitment to providing leading products and technical service make VAL-CO your indispensable business partner.
See our products in Hall 9 / B 41 at VIV Turkey 2011
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