Thursday 18 July 2024

Six Crabs

 


It all started with a particular breed of chicken: an Izegemse Koekoek. I don’t know how to pronounce it, but I suspect if you say it right, you sound a bit like a chicken yourself. It’s a rather pretty bird, with black and white spots. And it was in danger of becoming extinct. The place where these chickens were once plentiful is Izegem, Belgium. In 2010, city officials offered three of these lovely hens each to 2,000 qualified households. Among other things, families had to guarantee they had enough space to raise chickens, and promise not to eat or give away the birds for at least two years. The program was a raging success. Not only did thousands of Belgians get access to very fresh eggs, but household waste was reduced. (Chickens will happily eat banana peels, melon rinds, potato skins, pretty much any food waste.) It was such a success, in fact, they’re still doing it.

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