SANTIAGO, Chile—Egg farmers who are using cage-free hen housing systems in Chile have formed the country’s first union association to support  cage-free production. The formation of Chile Libres comes after many years of dialogue among producers and stakeholders including Humane Society International, who played a technical advisory role.

Chile Libres aims to promote cage-free egg production systems with high animal welfare standards and to collaborate with similar national and/or foreign institutions to develop capacity building programs, to inform the organization’s activities and to engage in regulatory developments that support a transition to cage-free hen systems.

“We have felt the need to promote change and call on those who share this vision to work together. We would like to make our experience available to strengthen local capacity and become the solution to society’s call for more humane, fair and sustainable production systems. Animal welfare is a core value for our association,” said Pablo Albarrán, Chile Libres Association president, in a statement translated from Spanish.

Daniela Sánchez, country director and farm animal welfare corporate policy manager for Humane Society International in Chile, said: “We are proud that Chilean producers are leading this effort  to promote cage-free hen and higher welfare egg production systems. We applaud their entrepreneurial spirit and their active and public role in support of higher welfare production systems that allow laying hens to express their natural behavior.”

Egg-laying hens in Chile are typically confined in wire cages so small that they cannot freely spread their wings. Cage-free production systems provide a much higher level of welfare, allowing the birds to express their natural behavior, including ground scratching and pecking, laying their eggs in nests, perching and fully spreading their wings, which are all scientifically documented behavioral needs. HSI works with the food industry in Chile and worldwide to help ensure a successful transition to these higher-welfare production systems.

HSI will continue to support the work of the Chile Libres Association to bring the collective knowledge of producers on cage-free production to enhance the global cage-free movement.

ENDS

Media Contact: Daniela Sanchez: +56 9 62181089; dsanchez@hsi.org