The economic and environmental benefits of conventional modern poultry meat production are huge.

The economic and environmental benefits of conventional modern poultry meat production are huge.

Date published:  24 March 2018

This is the outcome of the Study performed by Professor Harald von Witzke entitled Societal benetifs of modern poultry meat production in Germany and the EU – An economic and environmental analysis and authored by Harald von Witzke (HFFA e. V.), Hans-Wilhelm Windhorst (WING, Vechta University) and Steffen Noleppa (HFFA Research GmbH).

The study analyses the benefits of modern poultry meat production to society at large by quantifying the opportunity costs of moving to alternative methods referred to in the pertinent literature as extensive and ecological.  In conclusion, the value to society of modern poultry meat production is very high both in Germany and the EU when compared to “extensive” or “ecological” production.  Moving to “extensive”  or  “ecological”  production  would  result  in  substantial  income losses for poultry meat producers as well as for upstream and downstream industries. In addition, this would cause a significant expansion of global cropland and –  along  with  it    losses  in  natural  habitats  and  more CO2 emissions.  The climate cost of the alternative scenarios would be as large as the income loss in agriculture and its upstream and downstream industries. There also would be a negative impact on world food security.”

Please click here to access the English version of the study:

Societal benetifs of modern poultry meat production in Germany and the EU. An economic and environmental analysis// Harald von Witzke, Hans-Wilhelm Windhorst und Steffen Noleppa// 2017

If you want to read the German version of this study which we released earlier this year please follow this link:

Der gesamtgesellschaftliche Nutzen moderner Geflügelfleischerzeugung in Deutschland und der Europäischer Union. Eine Analyse ökonomischer und ökologischer Effekte // Harald von Witzke, Hans-Wilhelm Windhorst und Steffen Noleppa// 2017