In light of the range of GHG emissions associated with reported
practices at each supply chain node, it is also interesting to consider
hypothetical best and worst-case scenarios relative to average industry
performance. Towards this end, we analyzed two additional
hypothetical supply chains where performance at each supply
chain node reflected the best or worst of the range of reported
activities for all inventory data points other than raw material
production and feed composition (Table 4).
For feed production, differences between average, best and
worst performing operations were trivial, largely because transportation
and feed milling-related emissions contributed negligibly
to total emissions (potential differences in raw material production
and processing efficiencies were not considered). Continuing along
the supply chain, however, these differences become much more
apparent. For pullet facilities, the industry worst-case scenario,
based on reported data, results in pullet production which is 23%
more GHG-intensive than the best-case scenario. For layer facilities,
the worst-case scenario results in egg production that is 45% more
GHG intensive than the best-case scenario. For pullet and layer
facilities, differences would be even more pronounced if company specific
feed compositions were modeled. For processed shell eggs,
the difference is 49%, and for unpackaged, pasteurized liquid whole
egg 51%. Clearly, adoption of least GHG-intensive practices
throughout the industry could substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions from this sector.