Issue Type: Farm Animals

Farm animals

Thai restaurant Kalpapruek takes a stand for animals and commits to go 100% cage-free eggs in 2023

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

David Paul Morris/ HSUS

Update: As of June 2023, Kalpapruek has published that it no longer buys eggs from caged hens.

BANGKOK, Thailand— Kalpapruek, a Thai restaurant founded by Prince Bhisatej Rajani and Lady Datchari Rajani in 1975, announced its new animal welfare commitment to serve and buy eggs only from cage-free hens, starting this year. In a swift move spurred by constructive dialogues, the restaurant has transformed its policies in collaboration with the global animal charity Humane Society International.  

This rapid shift acts as a glimmer of hope for the 95.8 million hens in Thailand, a majority of whom are currently confined in cramped wire cages, preventing them from spreading their wings or taking more than a single step. Cage-free production systems provide hens with the space they need to lay eggs in nests, stretch their wings, scratch the ground, and peck naturally—all of which are scientifically documented behavioral needs.  

Mrs. Padaree Bunnag, CEO and Heir of Kalpapruek Restaurant said about the new policy, “My family and I are animal lovers. We want to see these hens express their natural behavior rather than living in caged confinement their entire lives. We believe it is our responsibility to create and support more responsible consumption with our customers. We would like to be a small inspiration to others in creating positive actions for animals and the environment, and believe that this world could be better with everyone’s involvement.”  

Ditching caged eggs seamlessly integrates with the restaurant’s mission to make a positive impact on society, champion environmental conservation, and advocate for the welfare of animals. With this new policy, Kalpapruek is sending a clear message to the egg industry and related stakeholders: in Thailand, the future of egg production is cage-free. 

“Kalpapruek is joining 50 other companies in Thailand, such as The Coffee Club and Sukishi Intergroup, that have pledged to use exclusively cage-free eggs in their supply chains. With more than 2,000 corporations around the globe—such as Burger King, Bimbo, Sofitel Saigon Plaza and Accor—having committed to go cage-free, Thailand is part of a global trend toward cage-free eggs.”, said Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand Program Manager of Farm Animal Welfare and Protection for Humane Society International. She continued, “Kalpapruek is a leader in the Thai restaurant sector by deciding to source cage-free eggs. There are over a dozen producers in Thailand that are using either 100% cage-free systems or have begun to use cage-free systems, including C.P. Foods, Betagro, KCF, Akara, Omax, Sa-Nguan Farm, Naeville Organic Farm, and Be Indy Country Farm.” 

Humane Society International will continue playing a pivotal role in assisting Kalpapruek in implementing this policy change and the restaurant will create materials to educate their consumers about this critical change to higher animal welfare. Humane Society International’s work to improve the welfare of animals in agriculture is both science-based and collaborative. The organization works with companies, farmers, processors, scientists and certifiers to support a transition to cage-free housing systems, and offers a wide range of support to companies including farm visits, consumer education and corporate roundtables and workshops to enhance their supply chains. 

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Media contact:  Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand Program Manager for Farm Animal Welfare and Protection at Humane Society International : ltangjerdjaras@hsi.org

Bite Me Softly commits to use 100% cage-free eggs by 2024

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

HSI

Update: As of May 2023, Bite Me Softly has published that it no longer buys eggs from caged hens.

BANGKOK, Thailand—Bite Me Softly, a leading restaurant brand in Bangkok, is set to make a significant stride in animal welfare with its adoption of a cage-free egg policy. By 2024, the brand will exclusively use cage-free eggs (shell and liquid eggs) in all of its offerings, extending this commitment to the products it supplies to other restaurants.

Bite Me Softly began as an online retailer specializing in pre-order bakery and pies and has since transformed into a hidden café and restaurant. Serving home-cooked comfort Thai Chinese fusion food and bakery items, the company recognizes its role in fostering an eco-friendly society. In line with this responsibility, Bite Me Softly has taken a proactive stance by implementing a policy to exclusively source eggs from cage-free systems. This move is regarded as an important move towards sustainability underlining the company’s dedication to responsible practices for animals.

Ms. Tawjan Punyasingh, owner and executive chef of Bite Me Softly, says: “My wish is to be a small cog that encourages change for continuous improvement. My love for all animals immediately triggers me to say yes to this commitment and implementation. Our focus is to improve animal welfare and today, over 50% of our brand is cage-free and we can confirm that all eggs will be 100% cage-free in 2024.”

In 2020, Thailand kept 94.8 million egg-laying hens (according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations database), 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.

Lalada Tangjerdjaras, program manager for Humane Society International in Thailand’s  Farm Animal Welfare and Protection program, celebrated the announcements: “Bite Me Softly has taken an important first step to improve the welfare of farm animals by providing these sentient beings with enough room to spread their wings, and HSI is excited to be part of this growing global movement by working with stakeholders here on the ground in Thailand. Bite Me Softly is sending a clear message to the egg industry and related stakeholders: in Thailand, the future of egg production is cage-free.”

Bite Me Softly joins other local restaurants like Gyudon House, Trust Me I’m Chef, and Go Coffee & Ice Cream along with multinationals like Minor Food and Marriott pledging to stop buying eggs from caged hens. With more than 2,000 corporations all around the globe—such as Burger King, Bimbo, Accor having committed to go cage-free­—Thailand is part of a global trend toward cage-free eggs.

HSI’s work to improve the welfare of animals in agriculture is both science-based and collaborative. The organization works with companies, farmers, processors, scientists and certifiers to support a transition to cage-free housing systems, and offers a wide range of support to companies including farm visits, consumer education, and corporate roundtables and workshops to enhance their supply chains.

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Media contact: Lalada Tangjerdjaras, farm animal protection program manager at HSI : ltangjerdjaras@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Canada

An “ag-gag” bill would make it hard to expose cruelty to animals on farms

Policymakers, experts, organizations and industry gather at European Parliament to discuss ending pig mutilation and extreme confinement

Humane Society International / Europe

HSI

BRUSSELS—European Union policymakers, animal welfare experts, industry representatives and non-governmental organizations gathered today at the European Parliament for a roundtable discussion on the necessity of raising welfare standards for the production of pigs. Animal scientists conveyed the need to end the intensive crate confinement of pigs, and transition to higher welfare systems that meet the inherent welfare needs of these intelligent and social animals.

This debate is extremely timely given the impending delivery of a package of legislative proposals by the European Commission for the revision and expansion of the scope of the existing EU animal welfare legislation. In its response to the European Citizen’s Initiative to End the Cage Age in 2021, the Commission pledged to propose an end to caged confinement for farm animals. Today’s event highlighted the need for them to abide by this important commitment to advancing animal welfare.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, said:

“At present, more than 140 million pigs are being kept in the EU, the vast majority of which are regrettably still being housed in production systems that fail to adequately meet their complex welfare needs. The science is crystal clear. It is time to end the close confinement of these highly intelligent animals in stalls and crates and begin to respect the integrity of the species and the animals’ behavioral needs. The living environments for pigs need to be enriched, they should be kept in family groups and the practice of mutilating their bodies should be prohibited. The revision of the EU animal welfare legislation is a golden opportunity for politicians, policymakers and the pig industry to get things right and align more accurately with science and the will of European citizens. We strongly urge them to pay heed to the animal welfare scientists and support the Commission’s proposals that aim to ensure that the pigs we keep for food are afforded a dignified existence.”

Maria Noichl MEP for the Socialist and Democratic Group and full member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, added:

“It is our responsibility as MEPs to make sure that we fully listen to both citizens and scientists and deliver new animal welfare standards that will give farm animals lives worth living. Of course, we must listen to the legitimate concerns of the animal agriculture industry about the practicalities and costs of transitioning to higher welfare systems. However, these concerns should not be used as an excuse to block progress on achieving progress on animal welfare. Let us instead look at the ways we can help farmers to upgrade or replace their existing housing systems. The new Common Agricultural Policy co-schemes, for example, were established exactly with this kind of goal in mind. We need to stimulate Member States and producers to make full use of existing funding CAP streams and also better incentivize farmers to improve animal welfare, rather than placing obstacles in the way of achieving better welfare for pigs and other farmed animals.”

HSI/Europe’s vision for the future of pig production was presented at this event by animal welfare scientist Dr Heleen van de Weerd, who provided an overview of minimum standards for pig production in the EU:

  • An end to close confinement for pigs in stalls or crates.
  • The selection of pigs for robustness, includes traits, such as lower prolificacy, good mothering skills, low aggression, and resilience in local conditions.
  • The necessity for pig housing to offer variation, with spacious, functional areas for secluded resting and activities, such as foraging and rooting, eating and drinking. Pigs must also have access to a bedded area, with materials, such as straw, for comfort and enrichment.
  • Respect for the species’ integrity. This entails keeping pigs in family group systems where sows and their piglets live together. Piglets should also not be mixed and moved as little as possible. Social groups should remain together.
  • Litter size must be aligned with sow nursing capacity and the weaning age must more closely approach the natural weaning age.
  • An end to unnecessary surgical mutilations. All pigs must have intact bodies (no castration, tail docking, teeth clipping, or ear notching)
  • Pig handling must be respectful and pay full regard to species-typical behavior without causing stress to the animals. There must be a culture of care on pig farms with each farm appointing a trained and named animal welfare officer legally responsible for overseeing and ensuring the welfare of the animals on the premises.

Facts:

  • In 2020, in its EU Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission committed to revising and expanding the scope of the existing body of EU animal welfare legislation to bring it in line with current scientific understandings of animal welfare. The proposals were scheduled to be delivered in the third quarter of 2023.
  • Following the successful European Citizens’ Initiative to End the Cage Age, which gathered 1,3 million signatures, in 2021 the European Commission pledged to also deliver a proposal to end caged confinement for animals farmed for food production.
  • There is no accessible data with regard to how many pigs are still commercially kept in close confinement systems. It is, however, known that only about 1% of EU pig herds are estimated to be organically raised and thus kept under higher welfare standards with outdoor access, although the data on organic production show that some Member States have a higher share of organic pigs (e.g., Austria, Sweden, Denmark, all with 3% of pigs raised in organic systems).
  • Most pigs in Europe live in indoor confinement on industrialized farms where they are unable to display their full range of complex social, foraging, and exploratory behavior. This leads to animal welfare problems, such as tail-biting and aggression. Piglets are routinely castrated and tail-docked without pain-relieving anesthetic. Poor air quality and intensive confinement can also result in other health problems.

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Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval, international coordinator in media relations:  cbodinduval@hsi.org ; +32 (0) 469 149 469

Humane Society International

David Paul Morris HSUS

PARIS—The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has, for the first time, included animal welfare in its Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct, urging businesses to uphold animal welfare in their policies and practices. These guidelines, regarded as a global benchmark for ethical business practices, could have far-reaching positive implications for animals across the 38 member countries of the OECD, which collectively account for approximately three-quarters of global trade. 

This move aims to speed up the adoption of business practices that respect animal welfare by multinationals—regardless of size, ownership or sector—that operate in or do business with OECD member countries. It builds on the OECD’s longstanding focus on animal welfare in its Test Guidelines Programme for chemicals and has the potential to positively impact billions of animals in farms, laboratories, in the pet industry and in the wild. The revamped OECD guidelines embrace the World Organisation for Animal Health’s definition of animal welfare, effectively recognizing the sentience of animals. Although not legally binding for industry, the OECD’s 38 signatory governments are obligated to establish a complaint mechanism. The text’s power to inspire change is significantly amplified by the inclusion of provisions that empower civil society to voice their concerns through the grievance mechanism and directly engage with enterprises, holding them accountable for their neglect of animal welfare throughout their entire value chains. 

Jeffrey Flocken, president of Humane Society International, says: “When we compare the OECD’s groundbreaking guidelines with the grim reality that billions of animals endure for corporate profit, the need for immediate action becomes all too obvious. Millions of animals in laboratories are forced to inhale massive doses of chemicals without any pain relief, mother pigs on factory farms are confined in narrow metal crates that deprive them of basic movement, and millions of animals on fur farms and in egg production endure a monotonous existence in tiny wire cages devoid of any enrichment whatsoever. For the OECD’s global standards to have real impact for these animals, they must serve as a rallying cry for both corporations and governments to take action to eradicate these inhumane practices.” 

Marian Ingrams, director of OECD Watch, a global network of non-governmental organizations that led civil society’s advocacy to update the OECD Guidelines, says: “The meaningful inclusion of animal welfare is one of the most positive and most significant improvements, along with the inclusion of strong language on climate change, that we have been able to secure in the updated OECD Guidelines, and long overdue. We are thrilled to have collaborated with Humane Society International and other allies to secure this important success for animals, people and the planet.” 

The OECD’s latest guidelines reflect a larger trend where more investors, companies and institutions are actively prioritizing the welfare of animals. Within the last several years, many financial institutions have adjusted their public environmental, social and governance policies and internal procedures to include animal welfare. This list includes large institutions like the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Rabobank and Standard Chartered. In 2011, around 50 companies committed to ending the purchase and production of eggs from caged hens. Now, over 2,000 companies worldwide have joined this pledge. The OECD’s inclusion of animal welfare is one of many signals indicating the importance of animal welfare in basic principles for good business conduct.  

Download images of animals impacted by the new guidelines and used for food, entertainment, fur, experimentations and for the legal pet trade.  

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Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval (They/them), international media relations coordinator for Humane Society International: cbodinduval@hsi.org

Vietnamese businesses embrace cage-free eggs and circular economy to meet consumer demands

Humane Society International

Hang Le, HSI 

Update: As of June 2023, Green Connect has published that it no longer buys eggs from caged hens.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Viet Nam—Humane Society International welcomes Green Connect, a social enterprise in Viet Nam, as they join the cage-free egg movement. Green Connect commits to exclusively produce and sell cage-free eggs across all its brands, including its online sales platform NODA and its in-house egg production, Larva Yum.

Green Connect has already taken steps toward its commitment by collaborating with its in-house farm production brand Larva Yum. In response to consumer demand for animal welfare and environmental sustainability, Larva Yum introduced “Trung ga 3 Moc,” its free-range egg product. As of April 2023, Larva Yum raised 6,500 hens in both free-range and cage-free barns, allowing the hens to freely engage in their natural behaviors such as perching and dustbathing.

Hens are sentient, intelligent and sociable animals. Scientific studies have shown that they have a sense of time, can count, learn from their flock mates and anticipate the future, which in turn affects their decision-making. They experience positive emotional states and enjoy social activities such as dustbathing.

Phuc Huynh, the CEO and founder of Green Connect, shared, “Working on animal welfare and the circular economy is a key vision of our business, as at Green Connect our team has a passion for creating something that is not only good for consumers but also respects our planet and other species.”

Hang Le, regional farm animal welfare manager for HSI in Southeast Asia, says: “Major brands like Mondelez International, Fusion Hotel Group and Pizza4P’s are all committed to sourcing only cage-free eggs in Viet Nam no later than 2025. Green Connect is providing what consumers and businesses want by no longer selling eggs from cruel cage production systems, which confine hens in tiny cages made of wire, so small that the birds cannot even fully stretch their wings.”

With this current project, Green Connect will scale up its cage-free production as consumer demand is increasing.

Le added, “Humane Society International applauds Green Connect’s commitment and is working with them and other cage-free pioneers to improve animal welfare and make a cage-free future for laying hens a reality.”

Food companies and producers in the region are spearheading efforts to improve animal welfare. In Viet Nam, 40 international and local food corporations committed to go cage-free. Recently, Mondelez International launched its first product line to use 100% cage-free eggs. In addition to moving hens out of cages, Humane Society International is working with pork producer Nguyen Khoi and eight food retailers to eliminate the production or procurement of pork from systems that confine mother pigs to crates so they are unable to turn-around for the majority of their lives. A crate-free production system provides mother pigs with more space to move and turn around compared to the intensive and long-term confinement of gestation and farrowing crate systems. These examples show how companies are responding to Vietnamese consumer demand to end some of the most inhumane practices inflicted on animals.

Facts:

  • In 2021, Viet Nam had nearly 77 million hens who laid 8.2 billion eggs, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. There are thousands of egg producers in the country, with varying sizes of production.
  • Humane Society International’s Farm Animal Welfare and Protection program works with companies, producers, financial institutions and other stakeholders to implement higher welfare for farm animals in production now and to increase availability, accessibility and affordability of plant-based and alternative proteins.

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Media contacts:

Humane Society International / Europe

Pigs
dpa picture/Alamy

BRUSSELS—As the trade negotiations between the European Union and Australia move closer towards conclusion, representatives of animal protection NGOs and the negotiating teams from both sides today convened today at the European Parliament for a roundtable discussion organised by Humane Society International, exploring its potential positive effects on animals in farms or in the wild.

The inclusion of animal welfare and environmental provisions in EU trade agreements has become standard practice in recent years, but incorporating commitments on farm animal welfare in their free trade agreements is novel to their Australian negotiating partners. While the final outcome is not yet known, the EU’s text proposals tabled in 2018 sought to enhance cooperation and facilitate the exchange of information and expertise with an aim to align regulatory standards for farm animal welfare.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, noted: “Here, in the EU, we are on the cusp of a major revision of our outdated animal welfare legislation. It is no secret that the European Commission has already committed to delivering a proposal to ban the caged confinement of food-producing animals, and—unless these ambitious plans are scuppered by internal politics—we are anticipating many other proposed legislative changes that will significantly improve the lives of millions of farm animals in the future. Crucially, in the context of international trade, it is believed that the Commission will try to introduce animal welfare requirements at import, meaning that animal products from elsewhere will eventually need to be produced under equivalent animal welfare requirements to be able to be placed on the EU market. Not only will that level the playing field for EU producers, but it means that other countries like Australia are going to have a lot of catching up to do if they want to maintain market access to the EU for their meat and other animal product exports in the future. Ultimately that should benefit the welfare of animals in Australia, too.”

Nicola Beynon, head of campaigns for Humane Society International/Australia, added: “This should be a real wake-up call for Australia. We are already lagging far behind the EU when it comes to our farm animal welfare standards, and the European Commission is now acknowledging that their standards are no longer fit for purpose and need a radical overhaul. It is imperative that our federal, state and territory governments start paying attention to what the animal welfare scientists, animal protection organisations and concerned citizens are saying about meeting the welfare needs of farm animals and take urgent action to revamp our own animal welfare laws and standards with the same kind of level of ambition that our European trading partners are showing.  Whereas, a reform of Australia’s environment laws that is underway must put a stop to the rampant deforestation that occurs for cattle production, and is imperilling iconic Australian species like the koala.”

With respect to wildlife protection, the EU’s initial text proposal for a Sustainable Development Chapter included specific commitments to implementing effective measures to tackle illegal wildlife trade, including demand reduction initiatives, and promoting the conservation and inclusion of additional species at risk of trade that are protected under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), plus implementing initiatives to enhance information sharing and cooperation between the parties to the CITES treaty with regard to (illegal) wildlife trade.

Previous trade agreements negotiated by Australia with its regional trade partners, particularly the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, have made robust commitments to the protection of biodiversity, including language on the protection of wildlife and the conservation of the environment, including the marine environment.

Facts

  • The breakfast roundtable event organised by Humane Society International/Europe and Humane Society International/Australia—in partnership with the Australian Alliance for Animals and Eurogroup for Animals—was hosted by German Green MEP, Manuela Ripa, was held at the European Parliament in Brussels and web streamed for stakeholders in Australia.
  • The EU and Australia formally entered into negotiations to achieve a free trade agreement in 2018. Thus far, 15 negotiating rounds have taken place between the Parties. More information on the trade negotiations and the EU text proposals can be found here.
  • Read Humane Society International’s detailed report about how the free trade deal is an opportunity to positively change the lives of millions of animals.
  • To underpin the planned legislative changes, the European Food Safety Authority has delivered a series of scientific opinions focusing on the welfare of various species farmed for food, including one supporting ending caged confinement for laying hens.

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Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval, international coordinator in media relations: cbodinduval@hsi.org ;+32 (0) 469 149 469

Celebrities write to the Prime Minister asking for urgent action on animal welfare pledges, as leading animal protection organisations stage Downing Street demonstration

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Peta UK

LONDON—Two years on from the publication of the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which promised to “revolutionise the treatment of animals in the UK”, celebrities including Dame Joanna Lumley, Leona Lewis, Will Young and Susie Dent have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stating that animals “have been badly let down”. The celebrities, joining forces with leading UK animal charities Animal Aid, Compassion in World Farming, FOUR PAWS UK, Humane Society International/UK, PETA UK and the RSPCA, lament a lack of progress on addressing issues such as ending live animal exports, exploring action on the import and sale of fur products and banning keeping primates as pets. The signatories call on the Government to deliver its Action Plan in full.

In addition to the letter from celebrities, 25 of the country’s largest animal protection groups including the RSPCA have published an open letter to Rishi Sunak, detailing the Government’s inaction on vital animal welfare measures over the last two years and stating, “Our patience, and our trust, has now been exhausted. The organisations urge the Prime Minister to ensure that his Government will not abandon its promise of world-leading action for animals that millions of British people are waiting for.

Of the dozens of “game changing welfare measures” pledged in the Action Plan to better protect animals at home and overseas, only around a quarter have been delivered so far. The Kept Animals Bill, containing several Conservative manifesto promises, such as banning live exports for slaughter and fattening and stopping the cruel trade in puppies, has not been given Parliamentary time for over 17 months. The Action Plan’s flagship legislation recognising animal sentience and requiring it to be considered when formulating and implementing Government policy has still not been brought into force.

Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK, said: “The Government’s apparent disinterest and unwillingness to deliver its own Action Plan for animals is frankly baffling. MPs tell us they receive more constituent correspondence calling for better animal protection than any other issue, so passing legislation like the Kept Animals Bill and a ban on fur imports should be an easy and obvious choice in terms of popular policy. But instead, we and animals are enduring endless delays, seemingly deprioritised by this Government despite huge public concern. We urge Mr Sunak to remember his Party’s promises to animals and start delivering the action that they deserve, and voters expect.”

Elisa Allen, PETA vice president of programmes, said: “Animals are in peril, and the government has seemingly abandoned them as time is running out for it to make good on its word. PETA is calling on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to ensure the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill becomes law, along with every other piece of promised pro-animal legislation without further delay.”

Chris Sherwood, RSPCA chief executive, said: “Sadly, animals have been left in limbo by continued inaction on key animal welfare issues by this UK Government. The RSPCA’s landmark Kindness Index found that 80% of people in the UK believe animal welfare should be protected by the government through legislation but sadly we have seen far too little progress from some of the key pledges contained with the UK Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare. We urge Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to end the gridlock, revive the Kept Animals Bill and ensure this administration keeps its promises for the nation’s animals – helping deliver a country where all animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion they deserve.”

Coinciding with the letters, the animal charities held an eye-catching demonstration in Westminster with campaigners dressed as Rishi Sunak and Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey staging a scene of animals being ‘hung out to dry’ on a washing line in front of Downing Street.

National polling carried out in April 2022 shows that Brits want to see the Government follow through on its promises to enhance animal welfare. The poll found 72% of respondents – and 71% of those who voted Conservative in the last general election – would like the Government to pass more laws designed to improve animal welfare and protect animals from cruelty.

  • Photos from the action outside Downing Street can be downloaded here (credit: PETA).
  • The open letter from celebrities to Rishi Sunak can be viewed here. The full list of signatories is:
    Evanna Lynch, Jan Leeming, Dame Joanna Lumley DBE FRGS, Jodie Prenger, Kirsty Gallacher, Leona Lewis, Dr Marc Abraham OBE, Megan McCubbin, Pete Wicks, Peter Egan, Rula Lenska, Dr Scott Miller BVSc MRCVS , Susie Dent, Tracy Edwards MBE, Will Young.
  • The published letter from animal protection NGOs to Rishi Sunak can be viewed here.

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Media contact: Sally Ivens, Humane Society International/UK , sivens@hsi.org ; 07590 559299

Mydin pledges to only sell eggs that come from higher welfare cage-free systems in all of its 66 locations by 2030

Humane Society International

David Paul Morris

SUBANG JAYA, Selangor—Humane Society International in Malaysia welcomes the country’s first commitment from a hypermarket to end the sale of eggs from caged hens. Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad, known as Mydin, published its commitment to exclusively sell cage-free eggs in all their stores by 2030. HSI has been working with cage-free producers and suppliers in Malaysia to ensure a cage-free egg supply is available and collaborates with companies by supporting the development of a cage-free egg implementation plan in businesses across the country. Mydin began selling cage-free eggs in its stores in March in Selangor and plans to continue to expand sales to its 66 locations.  

The commitment reads, “We will continue to work with our suppliers and customers to achieve our goal of selling 100% cage-free eggs in Mydin supermarkets by 2030.”  

The publication of the commitment follows HSI’s recent event on the cage-free egg movement, in which egg producers, retailers and other companies, veterinarians and government officials convened to discuss Malaysia’s transition towards cage-free egg production. Recent surveys show that  that the welfare of farmed animals is important to the public and most consumers prefer to purchase cage-free eggs. In the study, 84% of Malaysians agree that the welfare of farmed animals is important and as with people in other countries, most prefer to purchase cage-free eggs. 

Humane Society International’s senior adviser of policy and engagement in Malaysia, Dr. Saravanakumar Supramaniam Pillai, stated: “Providing adequate room is a basic tenant of farm animal care and housing. We will be supporting Mydin’s egg suppliers as they embrace more scientifically advanced, socially accepted and higher welfare methods of production. The future is without a doubt cage-free and Mydin is leading the way.”  

Worldwide, most hens kept for egg production are confined to small, wire cages with so little space they cannot even stretch their wings. In contrast to cages, hens raised in a cage-free environment have room to move, to stretch their wings and to exhibit important natural behavior.  

Stefanie Yan, owner of Permagreen Farms, a cage-free producer operating in Nejeri Sembilan and supplying eggs to Mydin, agreed, adding: “Cage-free hens are healthy and productive and we are seeing more interest from companies that want something better than confinement-based production systems. We are proud to supply Mydin and other Malaysian businesses.” 

HSI will continue working alongside businesses, including hypermarkets, in Malaysia to implement their commitments, by connecting businesses and suppliers, providing technical training and workshops for producers, marketing and policy support for companies and assistance in compliance with good practices for animals’ wellbeing. 

HSI’s work to improve the welfare of animals in agriculture is both science-based and collaborative. The organization works with companies, farmers, financial institutions, processors, scientists and certifiers to support a transition to cage-free housing systems and offers a wide range of support.

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Media contact: Madeline Bove: 213-248-1548; mbove@humanesociety.org

Humane Society International hosts full program for egg producers on the principles of cage-free production

Humane Society International

HSI

*Editor’s note: This page was updated to reflect actual attendees of the event.

MALAYSIA—Over the weekend, international and local business leaders, egg producers, advocates, students and professors, veterinarians, government representatives and many others gathered at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Kuala Lumpur to explore a new opportunity facing egg producers in Malaysia: cage-free egg production.  

This landmark event, hosted by Humane Society International, comes at the beginning of a wave of cage-free egg production in Malaysia and beyond as producers across the globe prepare to meet the shifting market and rising customer demand for higher welfare eggs.  

Worldwide, most hens kept for egg production are confined to small, wire cages with so little space they cannot even stretch their wings. Hens have scientifically documented behavioral needs. They require a nest for egg laying, loose litter for pecking and scratching and a perch for roosting at night. In contrast to cages, hens raised in a cage-free environment have space to move, to stretch their wings and to exhibit this important natural behavior. 

Recent surveys show that 84% of Malaysians agree that the welfare of farmed animals is important and most prefer to purchase cage-free eggs. Because of these consumer expectations, major food companies, the hospitality industry and grocers in Southeast Asia are seeking sources of cage-free eggs. As a major egg producer in the region, Malaysia is certainly poised to be a leader in supplying the growing consumer demand for products from higher welfare farming systems.   

At the event, scientists and veterinarians from Humane Society International and Wageningen University in the Netherlands gave research-based information on cage-free egg production. Both local and international corporations with cage-free pledges, including Old Town White Coffee and Farm Café described their commitments to social responsibility and animal welfare. Successful cage-free egg producers shared their stories and their reasons for transitioning from cages to cage-free. 

Humane Society International’s senior adviser of policy and engagement for the farm animal welfare department, Dr. Saravanakumar Supramaniam Pillai, stated, “Providing adequate room is a basic tenant of farm animal care and housing. Humane Society International is eager to assist egg producers who wish to embrace more scientifically advanced, socially accepted, and higher welfare methods of production. This event demonstrated that the future is without a doubt cage-free.”

Stefanie Yan, owner of Permagreen farms, agreed, adding: “Cage-free egg production is the right choice for our business. Hens can be raised without intensive confinement systems. Our customers demand it, and we are proud to supply them.”

Acting on principles of corporate social responsibility, many recognizable brands have made public facing pledges to go cage-free. Some of them have deadlines as soon as 2025. The hospitality industry is leading the way, as hotels and resorts welcome discerning international guests from areas of the world where cage-free eggs have already taken hold. They need the help of Malaysia’s egg producers to fulfill their promises, and the event served to further the necessary connections. It also provided technical information to egg producers for managing cage-free flocks, as well as case studies from successful producers already producing eggs without cages. Cage-free production requires a greater level of husbandry skill, so the audience received advice and guidance from egg producers in Taiwan and Mexico who have already made the switch. This landmark event marks the beginning of the wave of cage-free production that will inevitably reach Malaysia.  

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Media contact: Madeline Bove: 213-248-1548; mbove@humanesociety.org 

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