7/18/2016

Publix supermarket has announced they will switch to 100% cage-free eggs by 2026. This means that all of the top 25 US food retailers are now committed to going cage-free within ten years or less.

The recent announcement comes just four months after Compassion in World Farming launched the first cage-free Publix campaign. Our passionate supporter Andy Williams joined us in creating a Change.org petition asking Publix to eliminate any eggs from caged hens from its supply chain.

We then hand-delivered over 100,000 signed petitions to Publix headquarters in Florida. Local Fox13 News was on the scene to ask why Publix had not joined all other major retailers in making a cage-free egg commitment. Less than a year ago, McDonald’s announced a cage-free egg policy after engaging with Compassion and other animal welfare organizations. Since then, major restaurant chains and grocers like Taco Bell, Trader Joe’s, and Walmart have also made cage-free commitments.

Thousands of Compassion supporters signed the Change.org petition, called Publix, and took to social media to demand better for laying hens. The Publix cage-free campaign was amplified by efforts from other organizations including The Humane Society of the United States, The Humane League, and Mercy for Animals.

Petition co-author Andy Williams says, “I’d like to wholeheartedly thank Publix for listening to me and the 117,000 people who signed the change.org petition asking them to go cage-free. Publix has really stepped up and reinforced how important it is to them to align with the values of local communities and respond to their customer’s preferences.”

The commitment by Publix is the nail in the coffin on cages for laying hens. Compassion will continue to monitor and work closely with Publix and other companies who have made cage-free commitments to ensure they follow through within their set timelines.

Our cage-free success is spreading to other countries, as well! Tesco, a major British food retailer, has just announced plans to stop selling eggs from caged hens by 2025.

We owe a huge thank you to all of our supporters who took action for hens. Your voice was heard! There is a lot more work to be done, but this cements that one of the worst-of-the-worst practices will soon be a thing of the past.