The report Food Businesses paving the way for a cage-free Europe shines a spotlight on how major companies, such as Barilla, Carrefour, and Kaufland, are successfully phasing out cages for laying hens, sows and meat rabbits.

For instance, Barilla Group, a leading pasta and baked goods company operating in over 100 countries, has already fully transitioned to using cage-free egg products, exemplifying the progress being made by these industry leaders.

Leonardo Mirone, ESG Leader Sourcing Chains at Barilla Group, said: “Barilla endeavours to ensure that all suppliers of raw materials of animal origin comply not just with legal requirements but also with the highest animal welfare standards and criteria and we proudly achieved our global cage-free goal in 2019.... A crucial step forward in supporting and advancing sector-wide transformation would be the introduction of legislation by the European Commission to enforce a ban on cages.”

UK Government must deliver promised consultations on caged farming

Brexit presented the UK with a unique opportunity to lead the way in farm animal welfare, yet despite the previous UK Government promising consultations on caged farming, it failed to deliver on these.

To date, over 200 companies in the UK have committed to cage-free eggs, and over 75% of UK egg production is already cage-free. However, approximately eight million hens in the UK - and countless sows - still endure caged, confined conditions each year – underscoring the urgent need for legislative action.

With a new Secretary of State for Defra now in place, we are calling on the UK Government to publish its long overdue consultation on the use of cages for laying hens and to take decisive action to ban all caged systems in animal farming.

This move would be supported by 88% of the British public, who believe caged farming is cruel, according to a 2020 YouGov poll.

EU urged to adopt recommendations and enforce cage ban by 2026

Our call to action on cages extends beyond the UK as Compassion continues to urge the EU Commission to deliver on its promise to ban caged animal farming.

In response to the successful End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative, signed by over 1.4 million EU citizens and led by Compassion in World Farming, the European Commission made a clear and legally-binding commitment to introduce legislative proposals to end caged farming by the end of 2023. Unfortunately, the last Commission failed to present these proposals.

However, the consensus achieved in the recent Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture is encouraging and we urge the new Commission to adopt the recommendations and deliver the cage ban proposals by 2026 at the latest.

Legislative Backing Crucial for Achieving Cage-Free Success

This latest report highlights that cage-free farming isn't just possible - it's already happening with many leading companies. Now, they need legislators to step in, level the playing field, and ensure fair market competition by phasing out cages.

Dr Tracey Jones, Global Director of Food Business, Compassion in World Farming concludes: “Scientists are backing the call to end caged systems. Citizens are demanding change. Businesses are proving that large-scale cage-free farming is not only achievable but the right thing to do – for their customers, their brand, and the animals in their supply chain.

“With the future of cages hanging in the balance, producers need clarity on timescales, system requirements and transition support. We urge both the new European Commission and UK Government to deliver on their promises and End the Cage Age, once and for all."

New report showcases business shift to cage-free production