Vast majority of companies that pledged to remove cages
from egg supply chains by 2023 or earlier have completed
transition
NEW
YORK, May 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Open
Wing Alliance (OWA), a global coalition of 95 animal
protection organizations in 75 countries across six continents,
today released a new report revealing that 89% of all
corporate cage-free commitments with deadlines of 2023 or earlier
have been fulfilled. Nearly 2,600 commitments have been made
by food corporations around the world to remove cages from
their egg supply chains. Of these, 1,199 food companies, including
restaurants, retailers, and manufacturers, successfully completed
their transition to cage-free facilities.
This new data shows groundbreaking momentum within the global
egg industry, driven by growing consumer pressure, farm animal
legislation, and corporate commitments secured by negotiations
and campaigns by the OWA. Eleven U.S. states have passed laws
to ban the production and/or sale of eggs raised from hens in
cages, and the European Parliament has voted to support a ban on
cages. Numerous countries have addressed the cruelty of cages by
banning them entirely, such as Austria, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, and many other countries have
enacted laws that will come into force in the coming years.
"With nearly every food company around the world pledging to
remove cruel cages from their egg supply chains, it's clear that
cage-free is the expectation—not the exception," says Carley Betts, Director of The Open Wing
Alliance. "As consumer awareness grows around the world, policies
and laws are also advancing to protect farm animals raised for
food. All signs point to a cage-free future. We're confident that a
global transition is achievable, especially as many of our
corporate partners have already achieved their goals—some years
ahead of their deadlines. We urge companies to continue
collaborating to eradicate the suffering of chickens
worldwide."
Many cage-free commitments made by over 1,000 food companies
come due next year, as almost 40% of all policies were made with a
2025 deadline. Therefore, this will be a critical year for
stakeholders to hold companies accountable for their promises.
Companies are encouraged to maintain transparency by reporting
global and regional percentages and/or incremental benchmarks.
Key findings:
- Over 2,599 corporate cage-free policies have been secured—1,342
with deadlines of 2023 or earlier.
- 1,199 companies (89%) removed battery cages from their egg
supply chains.
- 2% of companies with pledges aren't fully cage-free but are
publicly reporting.
- 7% are not publicly reporting on their transition.
- Major brands completed their cage-free transitions in 2023 (or
years ahead of schedule):
- Hershey
- Woolworths
- Famous Brands
- Scandic Hotels
- Monolog Coffee
- Special Dog
- Azzuri Group
- McDonald's
- TGI Fridays
- The Cheesecake Factory
- A complete transition to cage-free eggs has been seen across
industry sectors:
- 394 restaurants
- 231 manufacturers
- 133 retailers
- 96 foodservice and caterers
- 73 hospitality companies
- 38 producers
- 16 distributors
Despite significant progress, approximately 4 billion hens are
still confined in cages worldwide. Caged systems promote poor
physical and mental health in hens, unable to even spread their
wings or engage in natural behaviors critical to their well-being.
To take action against this practice, visit EndCages.com and
the Open Wing Alliance's Action App.
For more information about the Open Wing Alliance, please visit
OpenWingAlliance.org. Follow along with the cage-free movement on X
@GlobalCageFree.
About the Open Wing Alliance
Founded in 2016 by The
Humane League, the Open Wing Alliance is a global coalition of
94 animal protection organizations in 75 countries across six
continents. The OWA is changing the way the world's biggest
companies treat animals and setting a new standard for corporate
farm animal welfare policies locally—in every major market—and
globally. Through shared knowledge, resources, and people power,
the OWA is united around their goal to end the abuse of chickens
worldwide.
About The Humane League
The Humane League is a global
nonprofit that exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food.
Since its founding in 2005, The Humane League has focused on
effectively ending the worst abuses in factory farming, securing
higher animal welfare policies from major retailers, foodservice
providers, restaurants, food manufacturers, and hospitality leaders
around the world, changing the lives of the billions of farm
animals who suffer everyday on factory farms.
Media Contact:
Julia Wisner
377660@email4pr.com
973-722-4736
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SOURCE The Open Wing Alliance