Putting your money where your mouth is
Future 'Spanish Tortilla' Ingredient; the first digit (1) represents (in Spain, at least) that the eggs were grown 'free range'
I (Karim Beers) was delighted the other day to find that my neighborhood store (which specializes in bread, fruit and vegetables, and snacks for teenagers on school recess) is selling eggs from free-range chickens (in Spanish ‘huevos campero’).
They cost twice as much as conventional eggs (for 1.30 you get half-a-dozen instead of a dozen), so why am I so happy about it? For several reasons.
- Out of consideration for the lives of the animals. Without going into all the sad detail, in factory farms, where almost all of our cheap eggs (and meat) comes from, egg-laying chickens are kept in cages, often with only a space of 20 x 20 cm per chicken, where they are unable to move much, have their beaks remove, and suffer all sorts of problems as a result. Here for the saddening details in a wikipedia article.
- They taste better. When I ask my very friendly grocer Rosy why she started bringing these eggs, she said her brother who she runs the shop with bought them for their taste. And it’s true: they’re yummier, and have a nice, dark yolk.
- It turns out they are quite a bit healthier as well. Here’s the results of a study of free-range eggs from 14 flocks in the USA, comparing the nutritional quality of these eggs with those from factory farms. The study says the former may contain: 1⁄3 less cholesterol; 1⁄4 less saturated fat; 2⁄3 more vitamin A; 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids; 3 times more vitamin E; 7 times more beta carotene
- Finally, from what I understand the company we buy from (Coren) has an interesting business model, buying eggs from a cooperative of cooperatives. I suppose this means (though I’d like to see more details on this) that small farms (and large ones) are able to produce eggs in a healthier, more humane—chickane?—way, and in a way that supports the lifestyle of people in rural areas.
So now we (my wife, son and I—and guests, of course) get to have a Guilt-free Spanish Tortilla (a delicious and simple fried potatoes and onion omelette). At EBBF we’re concerned with individuals making a difference by acting according to their values. Putting our money where our values are is one all of us can make a difference. So what are you buying (or growing) as a result of your values? Share below.
