When a US food company announces it is ‘moving away’ from cages for hens, there is celebration amongst consumers, the media, and advocates alike. But when years slip by and little measureable progress is made, we are left to wonder the actual impact of these announcements.

Without target dates and a publicly transparent plan of action, the meaning of such an announcement remains uncertain. However, one thing remains clear. Until the task is complete, hens continue to languish in cages so small, they cannot even spread their wings or lay their eggs in a nest.

With this in mind, I wrote a letter to the CEO of Costco. Eight years ago they committed to going cage free with their eggs. Today, the majority of the hens laying eggs for Costco still remain locked up in tiny cages. Customers are starting to notice, including celebrity Ryan Gosling.

Similarly, Starbucks, Panera, Nestlé, Dunkin Donuts, Subway, Walmart and Wendy’s, have all made announcements about eggs from caged hens. However, they have not set target dates and they still sell eggs from caged hens. While it’s commendable to take a public stance, the pressure remains on these companies to step up to the plate and finish the job.

When it comes to improving the lives of farm animals in the United States, food companies hold the power. With this power comes a tremendous amount of responsibility, as well as opportunity. Since many of the most abhorrent livestock farming practices, such as keeping hens in barren cages, has yet to be made illegal under US Federal law, it is up to the food companies, who are in the driver’s seat of our food system, to take a stand against these inhumane practices. And some already have.

Whole Foods Market and Pret a Manger are two examples of companies that have taken a firm stand against cages in the US. Both have just been awarded with Good Egg Awards at our Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards Ceremony in Milan for their written policies which formally prohibit the sourcing of eggs from hens that were kept in cages. These companies recognise that the practice of keeping hens in cages unacceptable and out of sync with their customer’s values, and what values on which their companies were built.

Message to US food companies: Phase out cages