Majority Of Global Companies Reach 2025 Cage-Free Goals; New Report Highlights Reputational Risk For Corporate Laggards.
Majority Of Global Companies Reach 2025 Cage-Free Goals; New Report Highlights Reputational Risk For Corporate Laggards.
Today, the Open Wing Alliance (OWA), a leading global coalition of 84 animal protection organizations in over 72 countries, releases the Fair and Fowl 2025 Cage-Free Egg Report. This annual report evaluates companies with global cage-free egg commitments across five sectors—hospitality, manufacturers, restaurants, foodservice, and retailers—distinguishing the “Early Birds” that are honoring their promises, from the “Bad Eggs” that remain complicit in caging egg-laying hens—stalling or concealing action despite their public pledges to go 100% cage-free.
The report highlights significant global progress in 2025, with 92% of all corporate cage-free egg commitments with public deadlines of 2024 or earlier now fulfilled. With the vast majority of companies meeting their commitments and reporting transparently, the few that are falling behind stand out for failing to deliver the progress and accountability consumers increasingly expect.
This year marks a pivotal moment, with thousands of cage-free commitments due by the end of 2025. Cage-free has rapidly become the bare minimum industry standard—one of the most reasonable and widely adopted animal welfare improvements.
“The cage-free movement continues to gain global momentum, yet stark contrasts remain between companies honoring their commitments and those still stalling,” said Hannah Surowinski, Senior Associate Director of Global Corporate Relations at The Humane League. “Transparency is no longer optional—it’s the foundation of consumer trust. As more companies remove cages from their global egg supply chains, the few that don’t are becoming the outliers and risking serious reputational damage.”
The Fair and Fowl report spotlights the top-performing company in each sector and identifies the worst of the worst for hen welfare. These companies have continually refused to honor their cage-free egg commitments, ignoring outreach from the Open Wing Alliance and dismissing their promises to customers.
2025 Worst of the Worst
Identified as the worst in their sectors, these companies have made global cage-free commitments but have since failed to publicly report progress or provide transparency:
Radisson Hotels (Hospitality)
Puratos (Manufacturers)
Alsea (Restaurants)
Couche-Tard (Retailers)
Newrest (Food Service)
2025 Spotlight Leaders
Recognized for transparency and proactive leadership, these companies are leaders in their sectors, setting the pace for their industry peers:
Capella Hotels and Resorts (Hospitality)
Groupe Pasquier (Manufacturers)
The Cheesecake Factory (Restaurants)
Lagardère Travel Retail (Retailers)
Compass Group (Food Service)
Why Cage-Free?
Despite widespread progress, more than four billion hens worldwide remain confined to cages so small they cannot spread their wings or engage in natural behaviors. Caged housing systems are linked to high stress, disease, and poor bone health, all contributing to poor animal welfare. Countries such as Austria, Luxembourg, and Switzerland have already banned cages, with others preparing to phase them out. In the U.S., 10 states—including California, Massachusetts, and Michigan—have enacted laws ending the sale and/or production of eggs from caged hens.
To view the full Fair and Fowl Global Report, click here. For more information on the global cage-free movement and how you can take action, visit OpenWingAlliance.org.
Karen Hirsch
