The animal welfare pressure group “Compassion in World Farming (CWF)” says the British government should lead by example by banning all cage production and supporting the poultry industry in its transition to alternative systems.
According to the organisation, major food companies are driving the shift towards cage-free production, but are not receiving support from UK and EU legislators.
In its latest 2024 report “Food Businesses Paving the Way for a Cage-Free Europe“, CWF highlights that more than 200 UK companies have committed to cage-free eggs and more than 75% of the country’s egg production is already housed in this manner. However, it adds, around 8 million hens in the UK remain in confined and caged conditions, underscoring the urgent need for legislative action.
According to this lobby group, the British government should lead by example by banning all cage production and supporting the industry in its transition to alternative systems, citing a 2020 YouGov survey that found 88% of the British public believed cage farming was cruel.
Pressure for the EU to submit proposals for a total ban on cages no later than 2026
But CWF’s call goes beyond the UK, as it continues to urge the European Commission to honour its promise to ban the caging of animals. In response to the European Citizens’ Initiative “End the Cage Age”, signed by more than 1.4 million EU citizens, the European Commission made a clear and legally binding commitment to submit legislative proposals to end cage farming by the end of 2023.
CWF says the consensus reached in the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture is, in its view, encouraging, and urges the new Commission to adopt the recommendations and deliver the cage ban proposals no later than 2026.
The animal welfare strategy? Praising companies that commit fully to cage-free systems while targeting those that fail to disclose specific timelines.
The report highlights how major companies such as Barilla, Carrefour and Kaufland are successfully phasing out cages for laying hens, sows and meat rabbits. Barilla, which operates in more than 100 countries, has made a complete transition to cage-free egg products for its baked goods and pasta business.
As in the UK, these companies need the EU to support the transition by creating a level playing field and ensuring fair market competition through fulfilment of its 2021 commitment to submit proposals for phasing out cages across the EU.
Dr Tracey Jones, Global Director of Food Business at CWF, adds that: “scientists are backing the call to end cage systems, citizens are demanding change and businesses are demonstrating that large-scale cage-free farming is not only achievable, but is the right thing to do for their customers, their brand and the animals in their supply chain.”
She adds that “with the future of cages hanging in the balance, producers need clarity on timelines, system requirements and transition support, and so we urge both the new European Commission and the UK government to honour their promises to end the cage, once and for all.”