More companies are making global cage-free egg commitments according to the sixth annual EggTrack report by Compassion in World Farming released today (16 November). The expansion of commitments beyond just regional policies to enable progress at a global scale is strongly encouraged by the charity, and in the past year alone more companies including Pizza Express, Yum! Brands and Bloomin’Brands have made new global cage-free commitments.
EggTrack continues to measure and encourage the transition to cage-free eggs by capturing and reporting progress against the cage-free commitments of major food businesses. The Report encourages transparency and drives business-to-business conversations that help deliver a stable and successful transition to the common goal of a 100% cage-free future.
Thai Brands Included in EggTrack for the First Time
There are 232 companies monitored in EggTrack and for the first time, the Asian Pacific region has been added, including companies in Thailand such as Food Passion and Lotus. Of the 232, 175 (75.4%) report progress against their cage-free commitments, an increase from 71% in 2021, with an average 79.1% transition to cage-free. Of the companies that reported global progress, their cage-free sourcing increased from 55.2% in 2021 to 63.1% in 2022.
In 2022, of the 58 companies with global commitments, 34 (58.6%) reported progress against these commitments, and we saw new global cage-free pledges from Bloomin’ Brands, Darden Restaurants, Focus Brands, Pizza Express, Royal Caribbean International; The Cheesecake Factory; Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and Yum! Brands
One company that has successfully achieved 100% cage-free production throughout its global business, and which provides this year’s Foreword for the EggTrack Report, is Danone:
“Danone has been working on animal welfare for many years, embedding it as a key pillar of its regenerative agriculture strategy. When we took our commitment to cage-free eggs and egg ingredients in 2018, we knew it wouldn’t happen overnight and that we would need to work closely with our suppliers. But we persisted and reached our target of 100% cage-free eggs and egg ingredients in 2020.” says Cees Jan Hollander, Global Farming Expertise Manager at Danone.
“Tracking and reporting our progress are important ways to hold ourselves accountable inside and outside our company, answering consumers' and investors’ growing demand for transparency and improvement, via benchmarks like the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW). What’s exciting is that thanks to tracking from Compassion in World Farming, we can see that cage-free eggs are swiftly becoming the industry standard.”
The Asia-Pacific market is the fastest-growing cage-free market due to increased demand, product
innovation, and increased disposable income. China, the world’s second-largest economy, is
forecast to reach a projected market size of US $1.2 billion by the year 2027. The cage-free egg
movement has also been growing in countries like Thailand and Malaysia, encouraging companies
in neighbouring countries like Vietnam and Indonesia to invest in such systems in anticipation of the expansion of demand.
All this progress should be applauded against the backdrop of the ongoing effects of COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, the impacts of inflation and recent increases in cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
With the consistent upward demand for cage-free eggs, however, companies should be careful not to opt for systems like ‘combination’ or ‘limited access’ systems, as they limit hen movement and are not considered to be a suitable alternative to caged housing. As such, Compassion is asking companies to publish updated language in their cage-free commitments specifying that they will not allow combination or limited access systems in their supply chain.
In this year’s report, for example, 24 companies have clear statements against the use of combination systems within their supply chain. These include: ALDI Nord, Barilla, Bennet, Carrefour Spain, Chef Express, Coles Group, Coop Italy, Domino’s Pizza (UK & IRE), E.Leclerc France, Eroski, Eurovo, Fattoria Roberti, GB Foods, Grupo Avícola Rujamar, Gruppo Sabbatani, Gruppo Selex, Huevos Guillén, Kroger, Marr, Meijer, Metro Group, Sammontana, Tesco and Unilever.
The charity also advises that to achieve 100% cage-free production, companies must ensure that their cage-free policies include all egg - shell, product, AND ingredient eggs. This will be a focus in the 2023 EggTrack Report where the egg categories captured will include egg ingredients for the first time, recognising the huge volume of eggs used in processed foods and which impact a high number of hens.
As the global egg industry is shifting to cage-free production and implementation deadlines are quickly approaching, it is essential that companies effectively collaborate with their suppliers to ensure their value chain is on track for fully implementing cage-free commitments, exclusive of combination and limited access systems, by the expected timelines.
Dr Tracey Jones, Global Director for Food Business at Compassion concluded: “Despite difficult economic times, companies are still forging ahead with their cage-free commitments which should be applauded. It's fantastic to see an increase in global commitments from leading companies who are showing a reasonable transition to cage-free.
“EggTrack is an important tool in ensuring this progress continues, helping to drive transition and compliance. But going forward, companies must address all egg categories in their commitments and ensure the cage-free systems they transition into are fit for purpose.
“Cage-free production is a smart investment, as increasing consumer and corporate demand will only accelerate this global trend.”
The Asia Food Business team at Compassion can support any food businesses in this region on their commitments and transition to cage-free systems. There is also an opportunity for companies that make cage-free commitments to apply for a Good Egg Award. Earlier this year, Shunrakuzen, one of the largest natural food store chains in Japan, was awarded the first Good Egg Award in the country and Hilltribe Organics received a Sustainable Food and Farming Award for driving the organic egg market and regenerative agriculture in Thailand, both demonstrating that positive changes are being implemented across the Asia region for laying hen welfare.
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For further information, please contact Sophie Peel at Currant Communications on
0203 638 0323 or 07552 451264 or email: Sophie.peel@currantcommunications.co.uk
For assistance in Asia please contact either Tracy.coult@ciwf.org or Rubia.soares@ciwf.org
Notes to Editors:
Compassion in World Farming launched EggTrack six years ago to measure and encourage companies’ progress toward their commitments to use 100% cage-free eggs. The report is intended for use by conscious consumers, industry stakeholders, and those in the business responsible for the day-to-day implementation and decision-making processes needed to achieve cage-free goals, namely buying teams, executives, supply chain managers, and sustainability experts.
The report includes an interactive website that displays the progress of each company compared to its competitors. Follow the cage-free conversation on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at #EggTrack. To learn more, visit www.eggtrack.com.
Compassion in World Farming is the leading international farm animal welfare charity, campaigning to improve the lives of millions of farm animals through advocacy, lobbying for legislative change, and positive engagement with the global food industry. Our established international Food Business programme aims to achieve a holistic approach to sustainable food production by driving transformational change for farm animals, reducing our reliance on animal-sourced foods, and moving the food industry towards more regenerative, nature-friendly farming.
www.compassioninfoodbusiness.com.