Annie Evans
As Jean-Paul Sartre said, “commitment is an act, not a word”. So have UK companies followed through on their commitments to eradicate cages from their supply chains?
Some of the UK’s biggest companies committed to sourcing only cage-free or free-range eggs throughout their supply chains by 2020. Despite challenges caused by the pandemic, many are reporting having achieved their targets - but who is lagging behind?
Since the banning of the barren battery cage for laying hens in 2012, it is not uncommon for people to believe that caged farming is a thing of the past. And yet, over 200 million hens in the EU are still kept in so-called ‘enriched’ cages, with little more than the size of an A4 sheet of paper to themselves.
In the UK, 61% of egg farming is now cage-free. This figure is only expected to increase over the next few years, with a rising number of companies reporting that they are now entirely cage-free.
As part of our work securing public commitments from companies to stop using cages for egg-laying hens, we are also here to ensure that these commitments are met. If there is any delay in achieving these commitments, we’re demanding that companies are honest with their customers, and publicly reset their timelines while also reporting on their progress.
For the most part, we’ve seen great success among UK companies, proud of announcing that they are now 100% cage-free. Pizza Hut and KFC are among those to have reached their targets, having made public commitments to source entirely cage-free or free-range eggs some years ago. Morrisons recently shared the news that they now only sell free-range shell eggs in store, five years ahead of their original 2025 deadline.
But, there are some companies who are shying away from their public commitments. Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, Rossopomodoro, Carluccio’s, Coffee Republic, Busaba Eathai and Vapiano to name a few have yet to announce their progress towards their cage-free status, and so we will continue to work with, and against where necessary, these companies.
We will not give up. With the increase of cage-free egg supply set to continue, it’s vital that animal welfare is put at the forefront, and that no company is “egg-washing” their customers.
Please, support our campaign with a donation. Your donation could help us make the lives of egg-laying hens better by convincing companies like Millennium & Copthorne Hotels to follow through on their promises of improved welfare for hens in their supply chains.
Whatever you can give will go towards ending the abuse of animals raised for food.
