The recent pesticide-contaminated egg scare
brought a lot of attention to how poultry
farms are run in Korea.
With the battery cage system receiving a lot
of criticism.... free-range style farms are
suggested as a solution to the problem.
Park Hee-jun explains how the method works.
(standup)
Chickens out of their cages and running free...
This is something you can see at only a handful
of places in Korea that practice free-range
farming.
With the contaminated eggs found recently
at industrial farms, free-range techniques
are getting some favorable press.
These farms provide a clean and stress-free
environment for chickens to lay eggs without
the need of antibiotics or pesticides.
(Korean)
"The chickens in our farm live in a stress-free
environment.
We don't use pesticides and leave it all to
nature, so there aren't any contaminated eggs."
However, most eggs in Korea are mass produced,
in farms where chickens are confined in battery-cages.
This type of industrial egg production is
seen to have greatly contributed to not only
the recent contaminated egg scandal, but also
avian influenza outbreaks.
Amid calls for a fundamental change in egg
production practices in Korea, Europe, where
17 countries also tackled pesticide-tainted
eggs, has already banned battery cages in
2012, with the number of free-range farms
in the rise.
Free-range farming, although a preferred method
to mass production, requires a lot of labor
and financing, which directly affects the
consumer's wallet.
With the tainted-egg scare expected to linger
for the time being, many are calling for a
quick solution that ensures food safety standards
without disrupting the overall supply.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News.
Chuncheon.
