France, Belgium towns are giving away chickens for ingenious reasons
19 Mar 2025

In an innovative move to cut down on food waste, several European communities have been handing out free chickens.

The birds, who roam freely in the backyard, eat up kitchen scraps and then lay eggs—a bonus for the residents.

This creative solution has been successfully adopted in parts of France and Belgium for over a decade in Pince and nearly a decade in Colmar.

The program was launched in 2015 at Colmar, a village in northeastern France.

The 'One family, 1 hen' initiative
Initiative details

Gilbert Meyer, former head of Colmar Agglomeration, initiated the "One family, one hen" project in 2015.

After he was re-elected in 2014, he teamed up with local chicken farms to give two free birds—either fiery-red Poulet Rouge or the heritage Alsace breed—to over 200 households across four municipalities.

Residents had to make space for the hens, and promise to care for them, with periodic welfare checks by waste department officials.

Expansion of the initiative
Growth

The program has been extended to all 20 municipalities of the area; so far, 5,282 hens have been given away.

"Applications are open for June 2025," said Eric Straumann, Colmar's current president.

He added that the initiative has also helped divert a substantial amount of bio-waste.

"We've dodged 273 tonnes of bio-waste—hens eat 150 grams a day over their four-year lives," he said.

Other towns and countries join the movement
Global adoption

Pince, a tiny town in north-western France, was the first to implement this scheme in 2012.

After its success, Belgian towns, including Mouscron, Antwerp, and Limburg, also followed.

In Limburg alone, 2,500 families adopted hens in a year.

Why chickens? Food waste decaying in landfills pumps out emissions 80 times higher than CO₂ over 20 years.

Globally, 1.3 billion tonnes of food—roughly one-third of what is grown—are wasted each year, accounting for 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Chickens and food waste: A circular economy
Waste reduction

"It's a circular economy throwback," says Straumann. "Village wisdom gone urban —scraps in, eggs out."

Apart from waste reduction, the initiative provides education for children and strengthens community bonds. But challenges are to be considered.

In the UK, fears of bird flu have raised concerns over kitchen-scrap feeding due to risk of disease.

In the US, rising prices after a 2024 shortage have questioned its practicality for low-income families due to costs of feed, space, and time for chicken care.

Additional benefits and challenges
Challenges

Apart from waste reduction, the initiative provides education for children and strengthens community bonds. But challenges are to be considered.

In the UK, fears of bird flu have raised concerns over kitchen-scrap feeding due to risk of disease.

In the US, rising prices of eggs after a 2024 shortage have questioned its practicality for low-income families due to costs of feed, space and time for chicken care.

Expert weighs in on the initiative
Solutions

"I love chickens, but I don't love the sound of this, especially in the US," Mark Bomford, director of Yale University's sustainable food program, said.

"Economically, steep inflation for a basic grocery item like eggs hurts the poor far more than..the rich. To care for chickens you need feed, water, housing, space and free time," he said.

"By the time you have factored in all these..., chickens are rarely 'free' and few people realize any net cost savings on eggs."