Sara Santos
REWE Group is nearly 100% cage-free globally, a move impacting 7.5 million hens annually.
REWE Group—one of Europe’s leading retail and tourism businesses—uses more than 2.1 billion eggs every year. When a company of this scale changes how it sources those eggs, the impact for animals is staggering: approximately 7.5 million hens will be spared from life behind bars.
Following months of strategic outreach, 11 days of public pressure, and ongoing constructive dialogue with the Open Wing Alliance (OWA), REWE Group has achieved a major milestone. The German company is now reporting nearly 100% cage-free egg sourcing across its global operations.
From partial reporting to global transparency
Reporting progress towards ending extreme confinement is the bridge between a promise and a reality. Without public accountability, a promise is just words on a page, and animals pay the price. While REWE Group has historically reported on its progress to end cages in markets like Austria and Germany, reporting for its other international operations remained inconsistent or incomplete.
That changed through a combination of persistent outreach and a short burst of public pressure, followed by constructive engagement with the Open Wing Alliance. Last year, the company finally agreed to reinstate its goal of achieving 100% cage-free globally by 2025 and reported that it had reached a global cage-free status of 83%. REWE Group began reporting comprehensively for all its markets, moving from vague promises to transparent proof of progress. Through dedicated relationship-building and quarterly meetings with our team, REWE Group shifted from being hesitant to move forward in some markets to proactively sharing data and driving progress in all markets. In an impressive display of transparency, REWE Group published two comprehensive updates in a single year, providing a country-by-country breakdown of its progress towards eliminating cage confinement across its supply chain. This level of detail and follow-through is worth celebrating and signals a shift in the company’s dedication to the wellbeing of animals, as well as to consumer trust.
The scale of this progress is hard to ignore. REWE Group operates 15,700 locations across multiple countries. Critics often claim that going 100% cage-free is impossible in certain markets—but REWE is proving them wrong. In the Czech Republic, for example, REWE Group was initially hesitant to uphold its cage-free commitment, but ultimately delivered on it. With persistent follow-up, pressure, and constructive engagement, REWE Group intensified its efforts, making it possible for the Czech market to officially reach 100% cage-free status. This sends a powerful message to every other retailer in Europe: if a giant like REWE Group can do it, everyone can.
Our work doesn't end when a company signs a pledge. It ends when the cages are gone—and REWE Group’s consistent progress is making that reality possible for millions of hens. By moving from promises to proof, REWE Group is demonstrating rigorous, ongoing accountability. In Hungary, its last remaining market using cages, REWE is currently working closely with the Open Wing Alliance on a revised timeline and a specific plan of action to achieve a 100% cage-free supply chain.
Ultimately, this progress with REWE Group is a testament to the power of the Open Wing Alliance and the effectiveness of strategic outreach—and it’s proof that when companies prioritize their commitments and truly push themselves, they can achieve what once seemed impossible. REWE Group’s progress is a clear signal to the rest of the industry: the era of cages is coming to an end and accountability, and meaningful change, is the only way forward.
