Published 18/09/2018
Compassion is delighted to announce the launch of its first European EggTrack report which shows the progress companies are making towards ending the use of cages for laying hens.
In recent years, we’ve witnessed a wave of companies making cage-free egg commitments and this report is designed to celebrate those public commitments, hold companies accountable for ensuring year-on-year progress towards their cage-free goals and stimulate a market shift away from caged egg production.
By demonstrating the progress companies are making towards meeting their long-term cage-free commitments, we hope to inspire further progress and give producers the confidence to invest in the best alternative systems which are not only fit for purpose, to give the hens a good quality of life but fit for the future too.
All the companies highlighted in this report have made a commitment to sourcing only cage-free eggs by 2025 or sooner.
Key findings:
- 75% of the 83 companies included in the European EggTrack report have reported progress against their commitments for at least part of their supply chain;
- 43% of companies have reported fully against their commitments for all parts of their supply chain;
- The average reported progress for future commitments (commitments with end dates 2018 to 2025) for shell eggs is 61% and for egg product/ingredient eggs is 47%.
The EggTrack report will be produced annually and in future iterations we look forward to seeing all companies reporting progress across all parts of their supply chain, sending a strong signal that the food industry is fully committed to moving away from the use of cages for laying hens.
Compassion encourages all companies to:
- clarify the scope of their commitments and include all forms of egg (e.g. shell, product and ingredient) used across their business, where this is not already the case;
- work with suppliers now to ensure the commitment deadlines are met and that a progressive transition to cage-free production is achieved; and
- invest in the best alternative systems, which are fit for purpose (by providing a good quality of life for hens) and fit for future (are acceptable for the lifetime of investment and successfully address emerging issues, e.g. operating with intact beaks).
Click here to read the full European EggTrack report.
US EggTrack Report
Compassion introduced its first US EggTrack report in 2017 and the 2018 report is also out now. Click here to read the US EggTrack Report 2018