THE CHANGE IS HAPPENING
Asia is the largest
egg-producing region in the world.
Ditching cages in the egg and food industry would impact the lives of millions of hens.
The change is happening
Asia’s cage-free egg production has gained momentum in recent years.
Many companies and producers have adopted cage-free policies in response to increasing consumer demand for better welfare for laying hens.
These commitments came from various industries, including hospitality, retail, restaurants, and packaged goods.
IN 2023 SINERGIA ANIMAL AND OTHER NGOs HELPED ACHIEVE:
09
Commitments
in Asia
39
Global commitments
WHY ARE BATTERY CAGES CRUEL?
Lack of space
Up to 12 birds can be crowded into a small cage. This usually means that each bird has less space than an A4-sized sheet of paper to spend their life.
Frustration
Hens cannot engage in natural behaviors such as spreading their wings, walking freely, or nesting. This constantly frustrates them.
Pain
Caged hens tend to suffer from bone diseases such as osteoporosis, which makes them prone to fractures and deformities. They also have to stand on a metal grate that hurts their feet.
Death and filth
Sometimes, dead hens are left to rot for days, forcing the surviving birds to live with decomposing bodies at their feet. Hens are also often forced to live in cages with piles of feces beneath them.
Public health
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that cage systems have a higher prevalence of Salmonella than cage-free systems.
Cage-free systems have the potential to significantly reduce animal suffering. In these systems, hens live in sheds (with or without access to outside areas) and have access to enriched areas with, for example, straw to graze on and perches to climb.
WHAT IS A CAGE-FREE POLICY?
A growing number of companies have pledged to stop sourcing eggs produced in battery cage systems and publish cage-free policies on their websites, social media, or other communication outlets.
1
Company uses eggs in their products or sells eggs.
2
a. Company publishes a cage-free commitment pledging to only use or sell eggs from cage-free farms.
However, clear targets and progress tracking are necessary to ensure that commitments are being fulfilled by the promised deadlines—and, if not, companies must be held accountable.
3
Company starts implementing changes and moves gradually towards using 100% cage-free eggs by a set deadline.
4
Cage-Free Tracker monitors implementation and holds companies accountable.
b. If a company does not want to publish a policy, NGOs like Sinergia Animal work with dialogue and mobilization campaigns to ask them for a commitment.
74.36% of all current cage-free policies in Asia have deadlines in 2025, 63.7% (37 out of 58 companies) of these companies are not reporting significant progress in fulfilling their pledges.
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Take action and urge these companies to be more responsible.
Together, we can create a more humane and sustainable food system by collaborating with producers, retailers, and consumers in Asia.