Post by Maria Lozano-Jaramillo

Last week, I had the opportunity to present my poster at the Animal Husbandry Alliance (IAHA) Conference at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL My research explores a question that sits right at the intersection of ethics and environmental sustainability in organic agriculture: What happens when we decide to keep and rear the brother roosters of laying hens? While this practice addresses an important ethical concern—avoiding the culling of day-old male chicks—it also comes with environmental trade-offs. Through a life cycle assessment, I examined how this decision influences resource use and greenhouse gas emissions within organic egg production systems. The results highlight a key challenge: Ethical improvements in livestock systems can shift environmental impacts, rather than eliminate them. This raises important questions for the future of organic farming: How do we balance animal welfare, resource efficiency, and environmental responsibility? And how can we design systems that align better across all three dimensions? Grateful for the insightful discussions, critical questions, and exchange of ideas throughout the conference. #OrganicFarming #AnimalWelfare #Sustainability #LCA #Agriculture #IAHA