Animal Equality, an international non-profit animal rights organization working with society, governments, and companies to end cruelty to farmed animals, recently announced that several companies from the hospitality and the supermarket sectors have begun sourcing cage-free eggs. This important development will bring to light some of the most horrific cruelties inflicted on caged hens at egg farms across the country.
After exposing the horrific cruelties inflicted on hens at egg farms, Animal Equality began requesting food companies from various sectors to reduce the atrocious industrial procedures practised towards hens raised for eggs. One significant way to reduce the suffering of these animals is to stop the practice of confining them in small cages so small that they can’t even move. Such industrial practices are a blatant violation of various sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
Metro Cash and Carry, Aditya Birla Group’s – More, BigBasket, ITC Ltd., SPAR hypermarket, and The Leela – Mumbai, are a few of the many companies that have launched pilot batches of cage-free eggs, further propelling the global cage-free egg movement forward.
Egg producers are also beginning to support this change with MPM farms of Tamil Nadu announcing that all of their 25,000 hens will be moved to a cage-free housing system by May 2019. MPM joins the growing number of egg producers like Kegg and Happy Hens that are housing their hens in cage-free housing systems. Henfruit, another egg producer will be moving another 25,000 hens to a cage-free housing system.
Amruta Ubale, Executive Director of Animal Equality says, “With this move by the Indian food companies and egg producers, India has taken its first step in joining a growing global movement in which food companies around the world have introduced animal protection policies, often as a result of growing consumer demand for improved animal welfare standards. These important policies not only prevent some of the unnecessary suffering these animals are forced to endure, but are also in line with the companies’ sustainability, environment and other Corporate Social Responsibility policies.”
Much of the animal agriculture business in India follows the Factory Farm Model. Factory farming is not just cruel to animals, but also devastating to the environment. Intensive animal production is a key contributor to air, water, and soil pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and deforestation. Most of the animal products that come from these farms can also be harmful to consumers.
About 80% of eggs are produced in industrialised egg farms that use cages with only 20% coming from rural areas that use cage-free housing systems. Before the onset of factory farming, hens were housed in a cage-free housing system.