Compassion in World Farming is deeply disappointed by Iceland’s decision to abandon its 2025 cage-free egg commitment—a promise first made in 2016. This reversal is a serious setback for animal welfare in their supply chain and leaves Iceland trailing behind the rest of the UK retail sector.

Despite 87% of shell eggs sold in UK retail being cage-free as of May 2025, Iceland continues to lag behind—sourcing over 60% of its eggs from caged hens.

Meanwhile, leading retailers like M&S, Waitrose, and Sainsbury’s have been 100% cage-free across both shell eggs and egg products for years.

Iceland claims caged eggs are necessary to keep prices low for its customers. Yet, in a clear contradiction, its caged eggs are currently more expensive than Tesco’s higher-welfare barn eggs—undermining its affordability argument.

Open Letter Calls on Iceland to Honour Cage-Free Pledge

Compassion, alongside The Humane League UK, Open Cages, and the RSPCA, has issued an open letter urging Iceland to reinstate its cage-free pledge.

Philip Lymbery, Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming remarked:

Once a cage-free commitment is made, it must be honoured with meaningful action. After nearly a decade to act there’s simply no excuse for delay. It’s shameful that Iceland is prioritising profit over moral ethics.

Consumers don’t ask for caged eggs—they expect good welfare as standard at an affordable price. It’s time for Iceland to catch up with the rest of the sector and make cage-free its baseline, not the exception.

Time for UK Cage-Free Legislation

With the UK egg industry now 82% cage-free, the market is moving decisively in a cage-free direction.

However, without legislation to ensure fair competition, responsible businesses risk being undercut by those that delay. Compassion is calling on Defra to take decisive action by banning the installation of new cage systems and committing to phase-out existing cages for egg-laying hens as part of its Animal Welfare Strategy.

Reputational Risks of Ignoring Cage-Free Commitments

Missing the 2025 cage-free commitment deadline is more than a supply chain issue—it’s a reputational risk. Companies that fail to act may face backlash from customers, investors, and advocacy groups.

Iceland must step up, invest in cage-free systems and ensure fair prices for its customers.

The message is clear: the future of eggs is cage-free—and the time to act is now.

NGOs Challenge Iceland’s U-Turn on Cage-Free Eggs