The Humane League Commends Barnes & Noble Cafe For Reporting Rapid Progress On Its 100% Cage-Free Egg Commitment

(October 3, 2023 - New York, NY)—Today, The Humane League, a global nonprofit working to end the abuse of animals raised for food, announces that Barnes & Noble—the largest bookstore chain in the US with cafes at most of its 627 locations—has made rapid progress on its commitment to source 100% cage-free eggs for all egg ingredients by 2025. As of today, it is already sourcing 84 percent cage-free eggs across all locations. Barnes & Noble has also published a roadmap detailing how it will achieve its cage-free goals. This milestone commitment comes after a collaboration between Barnes & Noble and The Humane League (THL).

“We applaud Barnes & Noble for its quick progress and transparency with consumers, demonstrating its serious commitment to an ethical supply chain,” says Liz Fergus, Corporate Relations Specialist for The Humane League. “As the world's largest retail bookseller, Barnes & Noble’s commitment to a more humane food system provides a compelling example for other companies to follow. We are calling on Cinnabon and Jamba to follow Barnes & Noble’s lead and begin reporting on their cage-free progress.”

Within the past several years, increased consumer concern about the cruel, outdated caged housing systems for chickens has made cage-free reporting the norm for most companies. More than 500 restaurant chains, retailers, manufacturers, hospitality, and foodservice companies have responded by making public commitments to eliminate caged eggs from their supply chains, and nearly 40% of US eggs now come from cage-free flocks. Additionally, 11 US states have banned the inhumane practice of caging egg-laying hens.

Why go cage-free? Over six billion hens exist in tiny, cramped cages that prevent them from stretching their wings or expressing natural behaviors. Caged systems promote stress, reproductive disease, and poor bone health in egg-laying hens. Eliminating cage systems significantly improves the well-being of the hens raised in supply chains. While there is more to be done to make long-term changes to their quality of life, this is a significant first step for egg-laying hens.