In Cyprus, farmers growing organic crops have recruited hundreds of retired hens to fertilize their olive orchards, launching a pilot project aimed at increasing yields, disease resistance, and reducing food waste.
According to Reuters, after the hens have finished laying eggs, instead of being sent to slaughterhouses, they are transported to the Akaki organic olive orchard in the green foothills of the Troodos mountains west of Nicosia.
Farmers and olive orchard owners Elena Christoforos and soil engineer Nicolas Netien have initiated the Kot-Kot project, adopting this back-to-basics method. They collect food waste donations to feed the hens, which in turn provide natural fertilizer for the olive trees, with the goal of producing olive oil rich in anti-inflammatory polyphenols.
Christoforos stated, “We provide a retirement home for old hens here.” Surrounded by a group of clucking chickens eagerly devouring food scraps donated by students.
The hens not only peck at insects but also help control surface weeds, thus reducing the presence of pests like the olive fruit fly, a scourge to Mediterranean olive farmers. Additionally, animal waste enriches the soil. Feeding them food waste helps reduce the amount of organic material entering landfills and producing methane.
The hens get to enjoy a long retirement life under the olive trees. While hens typically lay eggs only until the age of 2, they can live up to 8-10 years.
Netien explained, “The goal here is to create a biodiverse, self-sustaining ecosystem that can withstand high temperatures and prolonged droughts. So when I introduce animals into this system, letting them eat, drink, and excrete on the land, it accelerates this (ecological) cycle.”
Netien holds the world record for producing olive oil with the highest polyphenol content. He mentioned that since the arrival of the hens, there has been a noticeable improvement in the growth and yield of the olive trees.
Polyphenols are a large group of naturally occurring plant compounds that include several phenol units used as antioxidants. Experts say that the health benefits of olive oil are largely attributable to polyphenols.