Egg Farmers of Canada unveils its National Environmental Sustainability Tool (NEST), an innovative online tool that empowers Canadian egg farmers to measure, monitor and manage the environmental footprint of their own farm.
The Canadian egg industry has made tremendous gains to its environmental sustainability over time. Egg production is emitting substantially less greenhouse gas and using less water, land, and energy than it did 50 years.
With NEST, farmers can perform sustainability assessment of their farm to understand the key drivers of environmental performance such as energy and water use and exploring comparisons to farms in their region and across Canada.
"Egg farmers collect a massive amount of data on energy, feed, and water use, as well as farm operating parameters and conditions. What we're doing is facilitating the anonymous aggregation of this information so that farmers can see where they fit in the broader spectrum of sustainability performance and consider options to further reduce their environmental footprints,” explains Dr. Nathan Pelletier, Egg Farmers of Canada Research Chair in Sustainability at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.
By utilizing NEST to create an action plan, set sustainability goals, and track progress, egg farmers can remain at the forefront of implementing green technologies and new innovations while working towards making their farms even more sustainable.
“And—in the spirit of continuous improvement—future versions of NEST will include more detailed assessments that also take into account economic considerations and animal welfare data. It's an exciting time to be part of Canadian agriculture,” adds Dr. Pelletier.
NEST is currently available to all registered Canadian egg farmers who can access the tool at eggsustainability.ca.