4,000,000,000
Hens are trapped in cages around the world. It doesn't have to be this way.
Read more2023 Annual Report
2023
Annual Report
Factory farming is a global crisis. But thanks to your support last year, THL secured landmark victories to spare millions of animals from the worst forms of suffering on factory farms. And we demonstrated what is possible when we work together, as a truly global force.
2023 by the Numbers
7
companies made new commitments to spare 2.5M hens from life in a cage
62
companies were held accountable to commitments to spare 42M hens from cages
89%
of corporate cage-free commitments due up to 2023 were fulfilled worldwide
1.1M+
messages sent to decision-makers demanding an end to extreme animal cruelty
Battery cages have everything to do with profit and nothing to do with animal welfare.
They’re also one of the greatest sources of animal suffering around the globe.
Leading animal welfare scientists have decried the battery cage as “cruel and inhumane.” According to studies, it’s responsible for 60% of the suffering a hen will experience in her lifetime. And since roughly four billion hens are caged globally, the battery cage is the direct cause of immense suffering for a mind-boggling number of sentient beings.
But in just over a decade, we've more-than tripled the number of egg-laying hens living free from a battery cage. As of 2023, 40% of hens in the US live in cage-free housing.
By getting hens out of cages, we lay the groundwork for future reforms in factory farming.
THL is Developing a Global Force for Animals
Initiated by THL, the Open Wing Alliance (OWA) brings together over 90 member organizations from across the globe to create a unified front in our goal to end the abuse of chickens worldwide.
In 2023, the OWA:
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Grew to 90+ member organizations in 70 countries
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Distributed $2,381,147 in grant funding to 40 OWA member groups
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Secured 89 new corporate cage-free commitments and 44 commitments to end the worst abuses of chickens raised for meat
BIG MEAT V. ANIMAL ADVOCATES
The work of our Animal Policy Alliance (APA) is an important piece of our strategy to dismantle factory farming. These fights activate local communities. They allow activists to build relationships with legislators, and they pave the way for more ambitious legislation in the future.
On May 11, the Supreme Court upheld California's Prop 12—touching the lives of 40 million animals.
This was incredible news for any animals whose products might be sold in California. But even better, the verdict meant that voters and legislators were free to create policies to protect animals in their own states.
Fueling Momentum in Asia
With groups like Animal Friends Jogja in Indonesia advocating for new government standards for egg-laying hens, powerful public awareness campaigns in Taiwan, and new cage-free commitments in Thailand, OWA member groups are making major strides for animals across Asia and the Pacific Islands.
In Asia…
- 10 new corporate cage-free commitments secured by the OWA
- 78 companies reported progress or fulfilled their cage-free commitments
Keeping Battery Cages out of Africa
To meet the growing global demand for cheap food, African countries are facing pressure to industrialize their food systems. An estimated 61% of the region’s egg-laying hens are housed in battery cages, with hundreds of millions more at risk of becoming trapped in cages—as foreign investors attempt to resell discarded battery cages from Europe and North America to African multinational corporations.
But already, OWA members have convinced roughly a third of African multinational companies to spare the millions of hens in their supply chains from life in a cage.
In Africa…
- 2 new corporate cage-free commitments secured by the OWA
- 6 companies reported progress or fulfilled their cage-free commitments
At the Forefront of Change in Europe
Thanks to the relentless work of THL UK and our European OWA members, there are nearly 600 cage-free commitments on the continent, and already 60% of hens in the European Union are free from cages, compared to 40% in the US.
At the heart of our mission is you.
A special, heartfelt thank you to our Mended Heart Society members, our Legacy Society members, and The Heart Beat. Without you, none of this work would be possible.
