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Published 25/07/2016
Sodexo has announced that it will source only cage free eggs (both shell and liquid) worldwide by 2025.
Sodexo will collaborate with specialised NGO partners to define and implement an action plan to ensure the company and its suppliers can achieve this goal within the next nine years.
Neil Barrett, Group SVP Sustainable Development said: “For a company like Sodexo, with operations in 80 countries at more than 32,000 sites, addressing animal welfare is a significant undertaking, due to the complexities of our supply chain and differences in agriculture practices around the world. We are focused on building partnerships with suppliers, authorities and farm animal welfare NGOs, to achieve progress and educate stakeholders about the issue.”
Sodexo is working in partnership with Compassion in World Farming, the Humane Society International and The Humane League on this worldwide cage-free egg commitment. Local NGO outreach is also in place and will be developed as the new commitment is deployed.
In addition to building on its worldwide animal welfare position, Sodexo’s commitment to cage free eggs builds on the implementation of various national commitments previously made with the Better Tomorrow Plan framework:
- Sodexo in Belgium and in Germany have been sourcing 100% cage free eggs since 2008 and 2015 respectively
- Sodexo in North America has already switched to cage free shell eggs and is committed to source all liquid eggs solely from cage-free hens by the end of 2020.
Dr Tracey Jones, Director of Food Business at Compassion said: "Compassion congratulates Sodexo on their GLOBAL commitment to source only cage free eggs, not only building on their existing policies in the US, Belgium and Germany, but sending a strong signal to the global food industry that the end of the cage in modern humane farming systems is inevitable. Inclusion of liquid egg – the hidden ingredient - demonstrates the strength of that commitment. We hope this leading policy motivates other large international companies to follow and improve the lives of the millions of laying hens in their supply chains."
Sodexo sources approximately a quarter of a billion shell eggs worldwide on an annual basis.
