DSM-Firmenich, Hardeman Egg Group and Agrifirm partner to make sustainable eggs mainstream

NETHERLANDS  – DSM-Firmenich Animal Nutrition and Health, Hardeman Egg Group and Royal Agrifirm Group have formed a strategic partnership aimed at making sustainably produced eggs affordable and widely accessible, setting what the companies describe as a new industry benchmark for the egg sector.

The collaboration brings together nutrition science, farm performance data and life cycle assessment tools to reduce the environmental footprint of egg production without increasing costs for consumers. 

By aligning innovation across the value chain, the partners say they can deliver eggs produced more sustainably than conventional alternatives while maintaining a comparable price point, a key barrier to mainstream adoption.

The initiative is anchored by DSM-Firmenich’s Sustell Carbon Value Program, which uses verified life cycle assessment data to quantify and reduce carbon emissions at farm level. 

The three companies have already completed a commercial pilot, with initial results indicating significant emissions reductions alongside strong production performance.

“Through nutritional solutions, we achieved more than a 17% reduction in carbon emissions, while layer performance was above the baseline,” said Bas van Driel, group director specialties at Royal Agrifirm Group. 

Price parity seen as key to scale

While consumer research shows that some shoppers are willing to pay a premium for sustainable products, the partners argue that true impact requires cost competitiveness across the entire value chain.

According to the companies, sustainable eggs will only become mainstream if they are priced on par with conventional options.

“The biggest impact comes from producing a lower-footprint egg that is attractively priced, ideally at price parity,” said Ton Gielen, CEO at Hardeman Egg Group. 

“There are already far too many options on the shelves. If a consumer sees two cartons at the same price, they’ll pick the verified lower-footprint option and feel they’re helping the environment without paying more.”

The partnership is designed to allow producers, processors and retailers to meet sustainability commitments in a cost-effective way, rather than shifting higher costs onto end consumers.

Data-driven sustainability claims

A critical element of the initiative is the integration of DSM-Firmenich’s Sustell platform with Agrifirm’s PoultryNEXT system. 

The two platforms were connected in March 2024 to combine detailed life cycle assessment data with real-time insights into poultry performance at the farm level.

“Accuracy and credibility of measurement at scale is the foundation of an environmental claim that consumers can trust,” said Dr. David Nickell, head of sustainability and business solutions at DSM-Firmenich Animal Nutrition and Health. 

He noted that combining robust data with proven nutritional interventions can simultaneously lower emissions per egg and improve productivity.

Looking ahead, the partners plan to begin rolling out the new sustainable egg standard to companies across the farm and food value chain from 2026. 

The model will rely on multiple stakeholders committing jointly to verified emissions reductions while working together to remove costs from the system.

“We’ll start small, but the recipe stays the same: at least three parties committing together, making verified reductions, and taking cost out so the consumer gets a lower-footprint egg without paying more,” van Driel said.

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