Canadian Egg Project Demonstrates Importance of Working with Farmers to Develop Sustainability Tools

Researchers at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus and Canadian egg farmers have built a practical decision-making tool to help producers balance environmental, economic, and management tradeoffs on their farms. The project developed software that brings together key sustainability indicators to help farmers establish benchmarks for their farms, compare options, and understand the consequences of different green technology adoption and management choices. The research team worked directly with egg farmers to shape how sustainability information is presented, interpreted, and used in daily decision-making. The approach recognizes that these measures only matter if they align with the realities of farm operations, regulatory pressures, and economic constraints. The study also highlights how the approach works as a scalable model for other agricultural sectors facing similar challenges, from livestock production to crop systems. By involving stakeholders early, the sustainability tools are more likely to be trusted, adopted and maintained over time.