Submitted
Sustainable Food Systems

Chickens Bred For Better Soil Biology

Team Leader
Elizabeth Matthews
Solution Overview
Solution Name:
Chickens Bred For Better Soil Biology
One-line solution summary:
How a unique breed of chicken, selected for digestive health, can support more diverse crops in regenerative agriculture systems
Pitch your solution.

We are on a catastrophe trajectory where we will run out of fertile soil in 60 years without changes to our agricultural system.

More than 90 million acres of land in the US are planted to corn and it is the main ingredient in livestock feed. Chicken is by far the most consumed meat.  

We propose changing the system of animal feed and chicken breed to include diversity in both. Cooks Venture’s three-way cross breed can thrive on a diverse diet with said diet grown in regenerative systems. 

In addition to sequestering carbon in the soil, our solution improves the livelihoods for grain and chicken farmers, who have long been at the mercy of predatory, corporately consolidated companies created to keep them in poverty while maximizing profits for the corporations.

Building better soil biology with farmers is the way to develop crop diversity. Our breed and research are the answer.  

What specific problem are you solving?

Cooks Venture’s chicken bred specifically helps to regenerate farmland through its ability to digest a diverse diet.

Due to conventional farming practices, industrial agricultural, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, nearly half of the most productive soil has disappeared in the last 150 years. In the US alone, soil on cropland is eroding 10 times faster than it can be replenished. Without topsoil, the earth’s ability to filter water, absorb carbon and feed people plunges.

This agriculture system is a threat to farmers, the environment and now, increasingly, to consumers. Monocrops, limited genetic diversity, poor wages and consolidated corporations led to the problems we see.

Over the past 50 years, overly consolidated corporations have developed singular chicken breeds whose sole purpose is to convert corn and soy monocrops into meat for consumption to the detriment of the animal’s health, the land and community. The real chicken or egg problem: monoculture crops and monocultures of animal breeds evolved together.

We can regenerate farmlands to sequester carbon thus mitigating global warming using the most consumed meat on the planet, chickens. Saving farmland along with farmers' livelihoods! 

What is your solution?

Cooks Venture’s geneticists’ team has worked for over a decade, researching and developing our proprietary chicken breed, the Pioneer. Genes play a critical role in determining how fast animals grow, the shape of their bodies, the strength of their immune systems and what cultivars of feed they can digest.  

The Pioneer is a three-way cross between birds including the Naked Neck Buff; known for its resiliency, immune system and overall health, the Delaware; selected for body confirmation and eating quality, and a family line breed dating back to 1939 which we resurrected for its virility, overall health and ability to thrive on low density single stage feed. We are the only company in America selecting pedigree genetics to perform on alternative feeds is single stage feed settings. This allows us to marry the diversify of the bird with crops grown in regenerative systems. 

Additionally, the Naked Neck line is selected for heat tolerance. This allows us to patriciate in local food systems that are climatically warm and nutritionally poor, thus providing additional resources for developing nations while also building local economies and regenerative systems.     

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

Lack of soil fertility and food insecurity affects us all. Cooks Venture’s genetically diverse chicken breed in conjunction with farmers transitioning to regenerative systems can regenerate American farmland, while providing international food security solutions. Also while providing a conscious food choice.

To truly commit to changing the food system, we are committed to fair labor practices and livable wages in the agriculture sector.  

As a vertically integrated business, our chickens are processed at our facility by hand and air-chilled on-site. Cooks Venture is proud to be part of the Oklahoma Quality Jobs program at our chicken processing plant in Jay, Oklahoma. Participation in the program demonstrates that our wages exceed the average for the county.  

We work with chicken farmers, ensuring they receive a fair price for their birds.

We must be stewards not only of the land, but everyone on it.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?
  • Scale practices and incentives for larger farmers and ranchers to decrease carbon emissions, land-use change, nutrient runoff, or water pollution
Explain how the problem, your solution, and your solution’s target population relate to the Challenge and your selected dimension.

The land we use to raise, and feed animals must be regenerated alongside building quality jobs with livable wages for our farmers and rural communities. Our solution addresses carbon emissions, land use, breed diversity which all come together to create a more resilient food supply chain.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
New York, NY, USA
What is your solution’s stage of development?
  • Growth: An organization with an established product, service, or business model rolled out in one or, ideally, several communities, which is poised for further growth
Who is the primary delegate for your solution?
Matthew Wadiak, CEO & Founder Cooks Venture
More About Your Solution
About Your Team
Solution Team:
Elizabeth Matthews
Elizabeth Matthews