Abby Jade Sarfas
The OWA's latest Cage-Free Egg Fulfillment Report shows that most companies are continuing to honor their global animal welfare commitments—even ahead of schedule.
The Open Wing Alliance (OWA) released its fourth annual Cage-free Egg Fulfillment Report, and the findings are promising for caged hens, animal advocates, and socially responsible corporations and consumers alike.
The report—which tracks reporting and fulfillment statistics for cage-free commitments globally—reaffirms the staying power of the cage-free movement: For the second year in a row, the policy fulfillment rate stands at an impressive 89%.
The OWA is a global coalition of 92 animal welfare organizations across 6 continents and 74 countries. The coalition works to end the abuse of chickens worldwide by spreading public awareness, and collaborating with corporations to set and achieve cage-free goals.
To achieve its ambitious goal, the OWA is focusing its efforts on eliminating battery cages worldwide, as around 4 billion egg-laying hens are still confined in cruel battery cages. It’s a daunting figure, but the 2024 report is further proof that there is an end to the large-scale suffering these caged animals endure—and no end to the OWA’s dedication to protect them from harm.
About the report
In response to rising consumer demand, many companies around the world have pledged to ban cages in their supply chains. Cage-free commitments are a popular way for companies to demonstrate corporate social responsibility (CSR). And while promising to go cage-free is a move in the right direction, that promise must be fulfilled to ensure that hens will be spared from this abuse.
Many companies prove their trustworthiness through transparency: reporting their cage-free progress in their annual reports, or publishing percentages on their website for consumers to see. But some companies are reporting no progress against their commitments—with deadlines rapidly approaching, or even past due.
These outliers may have deprioritized the suffering animals in their supply chains, but the OWA has always kept them front of mind. To ensure compliance, the OWA regularly follows up with all the companies that pledged to go cage-free. The OWA’s Cage-free Fulfillment Report is a snapshot of how the industry progressed in the last year, and an indicator of global cage-free momentum.
The report tracks corporate cage-free progress for stakeholders, covering companies that have fulfilled their commitments, companies reporting progress, and companies falling behind. By doing so, the OWA holds these companies accountable to the welfare commitments they made.
2023 findings
2023 was another exciting year for the cage-free movement. Global powerhouses that fulfilled their commitments in 2023 (or years ahead of schedule) include Hershey (cage-free globally), Woolworths (South Africa), Scandic Hotels (Europe), Azzurri Group (Europe), and McDonald's (US).
Here are a few significant findings:
- As of April 2024, 89% of cage-free egg commitments with deadlines of 2023 or earlier have been fulfilled—leading to hundreds of millions of hens being spared from cages.
- These industry sectors have either fulfilled their commitments, or are reporting significant progress: distributors (100%), producers (98%), manufacturers (96%), retailers (93%), restaurants (89%), foodservice and caterers (87%), and hospitality companies (81%).
- In the last 20 years, the global cage-free fulfillment rate has shown remarkable progress. In 2003, one company reported that it fulfilled its commitment. This year, the OWA found that 1201 commitments have been fulfilled with deadlines of 2023 or earlier.
How can I help?
The OWA runs global public awareness campaigns to help protect animals from some of the worst factory farm abuses. These campaigns encourage industry laggards to report progress against their cage-free commitments—and they are powered by animal advocates like you.
By signing up to take quick actions on the OWA Action App, you can use your voice to enact meaningful change for millions of animals. From signing petitions to submitting contact forms, there are many ways for consumers to communicate their passion for higher welfare standards.
And it’s a critical year to join our movement. Many cage-free commitments—over 1,000—come due in 2025, as almost 40% of all policies were made with a 2025 deadline. If these companies honor the promises they made to their customers, millions of hens will be spared from cages. Will you help create the kinder world these suffering animals deserve?
