27 Cage-Free Victories Ahead of Animal Welfare Report
According to a new report, major restaurants around the world are falling behind on animal welfare—but you won’t find these 27 brands in the report. Here’s why.
Hannah Surowinski
According to a new report, major restaurants around the world are falling behind on animal welfare—but you won’t find these 27 brands in the report. Here’s why.
A recent report by the Open Wing Alliance (OWA), a global coalition of animal protection organizations, revealed that dozens of leading restaurant chains are failing to show concern for animal welfare—despite overwhelming consumer demand for compassion on the menu.
In the weeks and months before this revealing report came out in January, 27 of the world’s top restaurant brands published new policies to source only cage-free eggs throughout their global supply chains. The list includes industry giants like Dunkin’, Panera Bread, Jamba, and Taco Bell.
By agreeing to leave cages behind, these companies demonstrated their commitment to animals as well as to their customers. And, with new cage-free policies in place, these companies received positive—rather than negative—rankings in the report.
Coupled with the groundswell of activism and consumer concern that fuel them, reports like these make victories for animals possible. Thanks to the work of tireless advocates all over the globe, a cage-free future is coming. Through the leadership of the OWA, more than 2,000 companies have announced plans to go cage-free. Many have completely fulfilled—or are transparently sharing progress reports on—their corporate commitments, and over 100 companies are aiming to eliminate cages from their global supply chains. For thousands of corporations around the world, cages are already on their way out.
That’s why we want to celebrate the activism and generosity of animal lovers around the world, who are making unprecedented progress for the hens trapped within our broken food system. Millions of egg-laying hens around the world are already free from one of the cruelest forms of confinement on factory farms. And with 27 top restaurants committing to do better for animals, those numbers are only bound to rise.
Why cage-free eggs are better
Currently, the global food industry relies on 7.5 billion hens laying billions of eggs every single year. Approximately 90% of these birds—a clear majority—live in so-called “battery cages.” These barren crates are designed to maximize the number of hens who can live in—and lay eggs for—any given factory farming facility. Battery cages often hold anywhere between four and ten birds in a space the size of a filing cabinet drawer, which means that each hen has less than a single square foot to herself—floorspace no bigger than an iPad. Trapped inside these cages, egg-laying hens can’t stand at their full height or spread their wings. Bred and raised to lay hundreds of eggs per year—an output that far exceeds the number of eggs they’d lay under normal circumstances—these chickens spend their lives in strict confinement while also suffering great tolls to their physical health and mental well-being. Egg-laying facilities are sunless, loud, and filthy, the cages so seldom cleaned that some birds might not only die but also decompose right there on the floors of the crates.
Battery cages represent one of the worst forms of confinement within animal agriculture writ large. Eliminating them from the supply chain is a critical step towards ending the abuse of animals raised for food.
Cage-free housing systems represent critical progress for egg-laying hens. In these environments, the birds are still confined—but they have more space, as well as enrichments, that allow them to express their natural behaviors to a far greater extent than they can in battery cages. Dust-bathing, nesting, and perching aren’t possible in battery cages. In cage-free enclosures, hens get to live more like hens.
Of course, our work won’t end until we completely end the abuse of animals trapped on factory farms. But any amount of suffering we can relieve along the way is worth it. That’s why it’s so meaningful when companies pledge to eliminate battery cages—one of the cruelest forms of confinement on factory farms today. Ending cages is just one step on the road to fixing our broken food system, but progress is progress. And changes like these pave the way for even bigger wins for animals down the line.
Which restaurant chains are moving towards cage-free eggs?
Battery cages are an industry standard—but cage-free systems are fast becoming best practice. More than 2,000 companies have pledged to go cage-free, and 27 powerhouses did so leading up to the OWA’s recent report identifying which brands are recognizing animal welfare—and which brands are falling behind.
Nando's, Wagamama, and the following companies saw the writing on the wall and chose to create powerful change for egg-laying hens:
JAB Holding
- Bruegger’s
- Caribou Coffee
- Einstein Bros. Bagels
- Espresso House
- Krispy Kreme
- Panera Bread
- Paradise Bakery and Cafe
- Peet’s Coffee
- Pret A Manger
Inspire Brands
Yum! Brands
Focus Brands
Groupe Le Duff
Over the last several months, advocates campaigned to win cage-free victories with Yum! Brands, Focus Brands, and Groupe Le Duff, signing petitions, making phone calls, and sending a storm of tweets, messages, and emails to push these brands over the edge. As a result of this relentless activism, these global companies—along with a handful of others—published new animal welfare policies. In doing so, they managed to avoid finding themselves listed in the report among dozens of brands failing to eliminate cruelty from their supply chains.
What you can do
Corporations have the potential to make a difference in millions of hens’ lives. The impact is truly enormous. When Yum! Brands—which owns Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and The Habit Burger Grill—committed to go 100% cage-free, it promised to do so across at least 25,000 separate locations around the world.
And, as consumers, we have the power to drive this kind of change. A cage-free future is within our grasp. Will you join us as we build on this momentum and fight to eliminate one of the cruelest forms of confinement from our food system?