Issue Type: Factory Farming

Scarletta and Sloane’s Artisan completes full transition to sourcing cage-free eggs in 2024

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

HSI

BANGKOK—Humane Society International in Thailand is celebrating the notable recent achievement of Scarletta and Sloane’s Artisan, a restaurant group and pasta manufacturer, which announced a commitment to exclusively use cage-free egg and egg products as of October 2024. The commitment came about when the group conducted a review on how to improve animal welfare in its supply chain, and Humane Society International facilitated connections to cage-free egg producers. Scarletta and Sloane’s Artisan has already implemented cage-free eggs for use at its restaurants (Scarletta Pasta Bar and Salad Smith) and in the products it sells to other restaurants and retailers. HSI supported the company’s transition by recommending producers that meet the science-based animal welfare requirements that allow birds to express their important natural behaviors such as nesting and perching.

The majority of the 95.8 million hens used for egg production in Thailand spend their lives in wire cages with each hen provided no more space than the size of an A4 sheet of paper. The cage is so small that hens cannot spread their wings or take more than a few steps. In such production systems, hens are unable to express important natural behavior, including nesting, perching and dustbathing, all of which are possible in cage-free systems. Hens are sentient, intelligent and sociable animals. Scientific studies have shown that they empathize with their chicks, enjoy social activities such as dustbathing, and can anticipate the future, which in turn affects their decision making.

Scarletta and Sloane’s Artisan isn’t planning to stop at cage-free eggs; the company is looking into other animal welfare and sustainability improvements for its supply chain. The company understands the importance of its transition to cage-free eggs and hopes it will create a ripple effect in Thai society.

“We are passionate about quality food, sustainability impacts, and animal welfare. We started using cage-free eggs in 2020 for some of our products and will be completing our transition to 100% cage-free eggs in the last quarter of 2024. We will continue to use only cage-free eggs going forward for all brands. All our quality-driven products are made by hand in our own production facility by passionate individuals,” said Joe Sloane, founder and managing director of Scarletta and Sloane’s Artisan.

Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand program manager of farm animal welfare and protection at Humane Society International said, “Joe Sloane and his team at Scarletta and Sloane’s Artisan are passionate about animal welfare and quickly chose to stop using any eggs from hens confined to cages. We applaud this strong cage-free commitment and are available to support companies looking to improve animal welfare.”

ENDS

Media contact: Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand program manager for farm animal welfare and protection at Humane Society International, ltangjerdjaras@hsi.org

Zen Corporation Group becomes the largest Thai restaurant group in the country to embrace higher welfare standards for hens

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

David Paul Morris

BANGKOK—Humane Society International in Thailand celebrates Zen Corporation Group for its commitment to use eggs from cage-free hens by 2028. With 11 restaurant brands and more than 240 outlets, Zen Corporation Group has become Thailand’s largest restaurant group to join the global cage-free movement. In 2024, the group already reached the 80% mark of its egg supply coming from cage-free hens, demonstrating its commitment to improving the lives of thousands of hens. By the 2028 deadline, all eggs used across Zen Corporation Group’s restaurants will come from hens kept in cage-free systems where they can engage in natural behaviors like perching and nesting.  

This commitment is the result of close collaboration with Humane Society International, which began in 2023. HSI worked with Zen Corporation Group by providing expert guidance, facilitating key connections with local suppliers, organizing cage-free farm site visits, providing team training on the benefits of cage-free systems, and many other full supports on any related aspects of cage-free eggs policy. 

In Thailand, where most of the country’s 95.8 million egg-laying hens are confined to tiny wire cages, Zen Corporation Group’s decision signals a major shift in the industry. By adopting a cage-free procurement policy, Zen Corporation Group is taking a critical step to reduce suffering and drive a change in the market. In a cage-free environment, hens can move more freely, perch, nest, and dustbathe, leading to significantly improved welfare and better lives.  

“The group has been driven by strong passion of professional and expertise to develop creative menu and unique dining experience with love not only to the customers but every life related to us. Responsible consumption in our supply chain involving animal welfare is an essential element for our corporate social responsibility goals and sustainable development. Thus, cage-free eggs are one of the main programs we would like to move forward to successful implementation soon. This action is one of our goals to support local producers for sustainable business”, said Miss. Jomkwan Chirathivat, General Manager, Sustainable Development of Zen Corporation Group. 

“Zen Corporation Group’s leadership will have a lasting impact on both the welfare of animals and the expectations of consumers in Thailand. As one of the largest Thai companies to adopt a cage-free policy, the team has dedicated time, shown the will and worked diligently to begin implementing these higher welfare standards. Thanks to their hard work, countless hens will have the space to spread their wings and a better life”, said Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand Program Manager, Farm Animal Welfare and Protection for Humane Society International.  

Zen Corporation Group’s commitment is part of a national and global trend moving away from keeping hens in cages in egg production. It joins nearly 80 other national and multinational companies in Thailand such as AccorHotels, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, Sodexo, Nestlé and Mondelēz International that are all committed to only supplying cage-free eggs. As consumer demand for more ethical and sustainable food options increases, companies like Zen Corporation Group are leading the charge for positive change.  

ENDS

Media contact: Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand program manager for farm animal welfare and protection at Humane Society International, ltangjerdjaras@hsi.org

Akiyoshi, Rena Bakery, Rotruedee, and Tap Home Cook make the switch to cage-free eggs for a more humane future

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

Tigrane Hogbossia

BANGKOK, Thailand—This World Egg Day, four beloved Thai restaurants are putting animal welfare first by celebrating World Hen Day instead. Akiyoshi, Rena Bakery, Rotruedee, and Tap Home Cook are proudly announcing their transition to using only cage-free eggs and ensuring that the hens who lay those eggs are treated with greater care and have room to move.

In collaboration with Humane Society International, these popular establishments are leading the way in Thailand’s shift toward more compassionate food choices. Japanese restaurant Akiyoshi, authentic Thai fusion western style Rena Bakery, renowned Thai restaurant Rotruedee and Tap Home Cook, famous for its home-style cooking, are all committing to a cage-free egg supply. This means hens will no longer be confined to cramped cages, and instead will have space to spread their wings, walk, and engage in natural behaviors like dustbathing and perching.

In Thailand, approximately 96.3 million hens are used for egg production, and the majority are confined in small wire cages so small that hens can’t spread their wings or take more than a few steps. In contrast, “World Hen Day is an opportunity to shine a light on the importance of animal welfare and make the point clearly that hens are individuals deserving of basic protections,” said Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand Program Manager for Farm Animal Welfare and Protection at Humane Society International. “Thai consumers, like others around the world, care about animal welfare, and they support companies that share these values. We’re thrilled to work with companies that adopted cage-free policies and are advancing the movement toward cage-free egg production.

These four companies are responding to growing consumer demand for more ethical food choices.  For them, the decision to go cage-free isn’t just about business—it’s about doing what’s right.

“Switching to using 100% cage-free eggs is an important decision for us because it fits with who we are and is what our customers want.” said a spokesperson for the Executive Management team at Akiyoshi.

Mr. Chatchai Komintr, CEO of Rena Bakery added: “After we learned more about how caged hens live, we decided that we needed to do something to help.”

These four businesses join over 50 companies in Thailand, including big names like Minor Foods and Marriott, that have pledged to use exclusively cage-free eggs. Other Thailand brands are also part of this growing shift toward more humane sourcing. Globally, more than 2,000 companies—including Burger King, Bimbo, and Accor—have committed to go cage-free.

The move to cage-free eggs reflects a broader shift toward ethical choices, as more Thai consumers seek out businesses that prioritize animal welfare, and make their preferences known. This is a step toward a brighter, more compassionate future for Thailand’s hens.

ENDS

Media contact: Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand program manager for farm animal welfare and protection at Humane Society International, ltangjerdjaras@hsi.org

With support from Humane Society International, Tap Home Cook commits to stop using eggs from caged hens by 2028

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

danchooalex/iStock.com

BANGKOK, Thailand—Tap Home Cook, a popular café and restaurant group in Thailand, is taking a significant step toward improving animal welfare by committing to only use eggs from cage-free hens by 2028. The pledge was made with the support of the animal protection organisation Humane Society International which is working to improve the welfare of farmed animals in the country.

Tap Home Cook operates three well-known brands: Not Just Another Cup, Tiny Cup and Butter Cup. The company is dedicated to offering more sustainable options for customers while improving its social impact. By shifting to eggs from cage-free hens, Tap Home Cook joins a growing number of Thai businesses prioritizing animal welfare in their supply chains. This company has already begun the transition, with full implementation expected by 2028.

In Thailand, the majority of the 95.8 million hens used for egg production spend their lives in cramped wire cages, each with less space than the area of an A4 sheet of paper. These crowded cages prevent hens from expressing natural behavior such as spreading their wings, nesting, perching and dustbathing. Cage-free systems, on the other hand, offer the opportunity for hens to engage in these vital activities, greatly enhancing their quality of life. Research has shown that hens are sentient, intelligent and sociable animals.

“At Tap Home Cook, we are deeply committed to responsible sourcing,” said Chitraphan Charanachitta, Founder and CEO of Tap Home Cook. “Our transition to cage-free eggs aligns perfectly with our vision We are grateful to Humane Society International for their support in helping us make this important change, and we are excited to be part of the global movement toward more humane practices.

Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand Program Manager, Farm Animal Welfare and Protection for Humane Society International, applauded Tap Home Cook’s leadership: “We are thrilled to see Tap Home Cook take this important step towards improving animal welfare. Their commitment will not only benefit the hens but will also inspire other companies in Thailand to follow suit. HSI in Thailand is ready to support any business looking to improve the welfare of animals in its supply chains.”

Tap Home Cook is joining a broader cage-free movement within Thailand and beyond, as more multinational and local companies make similar cage-free commitments. Global companies with operations in Thailand, such as Central Retail Group, AccorHotels, Hilton Hotels and Resorts, Sodexo, Nestle and Mondelez International, have already started to make the switch to cage-free eggs Additionally, Thai brands like Baan Ying Family, Akiyoshi, Bite Me Softly, Kalpapruek, Rena Bakery, Rotruedee and Sukishi are part of this growing shift toward more humane sourcing.

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Media contact: Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand program manager for farm animal welfare and protection at Humane Society International, ltangjerdjaras@hsi.org

Humane Society International

Chickens
David Paul Morris

When: Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 8 a.m.

Where: Jalan Putra, 50350, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

More information and registration coming soon!

Humane Society International/UK calls on the Government to conduct an urgent review of the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board’s goals and spending priorities.

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Stock Photography

LONDON— As the second round of a Government-backed multi-million pound ‘Let’s Eat Balanced’ campaign launches today, explicitly aimed at encouraging the public to eat more red meat and dairy, charity Humane Society International/UK says promoting climate-costly diets directly contradicts Labour’s manifesto health and nature goals and calls on farming Minister Daniel Zeichner to commission an urgent review. The campaign has been launched by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, a non-departmental public body, accountable to the UK Parliament through Defra Ministers, with board members appointed by the Secretary of State for Defra.  

HSI/UK says a review is needed into the AHDB’s goals and spending priorities. HSI/UK’s analysis of Defra’s departmental spending figures shows that between January and June 2024, the AHDB spent over £2.5million on pro-meat propaganda, equating to at least 42% of AHDB total expenditure (£6.1million) (for line items over £25,000).  

Animal agriculture accounts for an estimated 16.5% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, similar to the emissions from all global transportation. The Climate Change Committee says reducing meat and dairy consumption is essential to reach the UK’s legally binding climate targets and specifically recommended that Defra “Take low-cost, low-regret actions to encourage a 20% shift away from all meat by 2030, rising to 35% by 2050, and a 20% shift from dairy products by 2030, demonstrating leadership in the public sector whilst improving health.” This goal was reported as ‘overdue’ in the Committee’s 2023 annual report.  

In its July 2024 report to Parliament the Climate Change Committee explicitly criticized the AHDB for continuing “to invest in proactive marketing campaigns to encourage meat and dairy consumption, despite the evidence showing that a reduction in meat and dairy consumption supports a shift towards low-carbon, sustainable and healthy diets.” One of their “priority policy recommendations” to the Government is to “Empower people to make low-carbon choices by communicating the most impactful ways to reduce emissions, such as changing car travel, home energy use and dietary behaviours… and support people to make these choices.” 

Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs for Humane Society International/UK, said “This AHDB campaign is reckless self-sabotage on Labour’s health and climate policy ambitions. As Ministers get to grips with how to deliver on manifesto pledges to reduce non-communicable diseases like heart attacks and cancers, and to cut greenhouse gas emissions, it makes zero sense for Defra to be quietly processing invoices for a lavish public marketing campaign that completely undermines both policy goals. 

By law, the AHDB exists to help ‘improve the ways in which the industry contributes to sustainable development’ yet this year almost half of its spend has been on a resolutely head-in-the-sand campaign trying to cling on to unhealthy and unsustainable over-consumption of meat and dairy. We urge the new Labour Government to recalibrate the AHDB to allow it to prioritise playing a positive role in marketing the UK’s horticultural produce, including vegetables, legumes and grains, and stop fixating on flogging dead cows, sheep and pigs.” 

In addition to drawing criticism from the CCC, the AHDB’s campaign was criticized by health professionals in May for its “inaccurate and misleading public health messaging”, noting that the campaign is “at odds with established scientific evidence on healthy and sustainable diets” and makes “suggestive ‘health benefits’ whilst ignoring the guidance to limit meat intake, particularly red and processed meat”. 

The AHDB’s expenditure, including that for the ‘Let’s Eat Balanced’ campaign, is funded by an industry levy. However, information obtained through Freedom of Information requests this year revealed that the £4.6million campaign was approved by former farming Minister, former dairy farmer Mark Spencer. 

Against a backdrop of European governments including Denmark, Germany and Norway actively promoting more plant-based eating, and introducing higher taxes on meat production, HSI/UK condemns the ‘Let’s Eat Balanced’ campaign as a regressive initiative that makes the UK look out of sync with European momentum towards people and planet friendly food and farming policies. 

Notes

  • Labour’s 2024 election manifesto includes a commitment to “take preventative public health measures to tackle the biggest killers and support people to live longer, healthier lives.” It also states that “Labour will ensure the institutional framework for policy making reflects our commitments to reach net zero and meet our carbon budgets.” and Labour “will deliver for nature, taking action to meet our Environment Act targets, and will work in partnership with civil society, communities and business to restore and protect our natural world.” 

(a) increasing efficiency or productivity in the industry; 

(b) improving marketing in the industry; 

(c) improving or developing services that the industry provides or could provide to the community; and 

(d) improving the ways in which the industry contributes to sustainable development. 

  • Defra reporting on AHDB spends over £25,000, January–June 2024. Line items for ‘Let’s Eat Balanced’ campaign include advertising agency costs, creative Gen Z partnership agency fees, and online banner placement with Sainsbury’s.  
Month  Spend naming ‘Let’s Eat Balanced’ campaign  Total AHDB spend for month 
January  £70,680  £669,934 
February  £1,290,996  £1,916,876 
March  £1,006,171  £1,993,229 
April  £137,9191  £535,666 
May  –  £645,358 
June  £90,465  £410,567 
Total  £2,596,231   £6,171,630 

Based on a conservative interpretation of Defra’s spend reporting, 42% of the AHDB’s expenditure for January-June 2024 was on the ‘Let’s Eat Balanced’ and ‘Love Pork’ campaigns designed to convince the public to eat more red meat and dairy.
 

Media contact: Sally Ivens, senior specialist media and communications for HSI/UK ;sivens@hsi.org  

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

HSI

HO CHI MINH CITY, Viet Nam—Humane Society International, a non-profit organization working around the globe to improve the welfare of animals, is proud to celebrate the long-term partnership between Pizza 4P’s and Tamago in their joint effort to eliminate battery cages and transition to cage-free facilities.

Recognizing the profound impact corporate reforms can have on the lives of millions of animals, HSI has made corporate social responsibility campaigns a fundamental priority. HSI played a key role in facilitating Pizza 4P’s transition to cage-free egg suppliers, leading to the successful partnership between Pizza 4P’s and Tamago.

In 2020, Pizza 4P’s, a restaurant chain headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City with locations across Viet Nam, Japan, India and Cambodia, became one of the first companies in Southeast Asia to commit to transitioning to sourcing eggs from cage-free hens. Cage-free production represents a strong welfare improvement over the industry’s antiquated intensive cage confinement systems in which hens are unable to spread their wings or take more than a few steps.

Tamago, a small-scale producer in northern Viet Nam, started a cage-free pilot project in 2023 to supply some of Pizza 4P’s locations in Hanoi. The pilot project demonstrated that hens were equally productive in the cage-free barn as they were in intensive cage confinement. As a result, Tamago decided to fully transition to a cage-free system.

Hoang Nguyen, director of Tamago, said: “Keeping cage-free birds is better for the animals and for the people who care for them. It also makes good business sense; after a one-year trial, the productivity of the cage-free hens is the same as those in cages. We are proud to offer a higher welfare alternative and thank Pizza 4P’s for helping us make this important switch. The long-term support from such companies is the key.”

Rising demand for eggs from cage-free hens at Pizza 4P’s northern locations has led Tamago to significantly expand its cage-free production. Initially supplying eggs to only a few stores, Tamago now supports all Pizza 4P’s locations in the northern regions.  “As we continue on our path of responsible and sustainable sourcing, of which cage-free eggs are integral, we aspire to build even stronger partnerships with like-minded suppliers,” said Thu Vuong, sustainability manager at Pizza 4P’s. “Together, we aim to fulfill our vision of ’Making the World Smile for Peace’ and to cultivate a world infused with compassion through our actions.’’

Hang Le, Southeast Asia regional manager of Farm Animal Welfare and Protection at Humane Society International, said: “We applaud the long-term partnership between Pizza 4P’s and Tamago. This is a strong example of how a company can implement cage-free policy by working with its current eggs suppliers to end the use of intensive caging of hens. Many companies across Southeast Asia have committed to be cage-free by next year, giving them a matter of months to transition. HSI can offer technical support for this type of transition, so we urge these companies to follow suit and contact us for support in switching to a cage-free future.”

Cage-free systems provide animals with more space, freedom to move, and facilities for expressing their natural behaviors. A growing number of food and hospitality companies including Accor, Marriott and Fusion have adopted policies to procure eggs from cage-free hens as part of their corporate social responsibility goals. Cage-free production is the system of the future.

ENDS

Media contact: Carson Baer, media specialist; cbaer@humanesociety.org

After being rescued from a farm where they were confined in small metal cages, the pigs are enjoying their new-found freedom

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Sally Ivens / HSI

LONDON—Two mother pigs, who have spent around a quarter of their adult lives confined in metal cages barely bigger than their bodies, have been rescued from slaughter and rehomed by leading animal protection charity Humane Society International/UK. The pigs, who gave birth to multiple litters of piglets at a UK farm which cages sows for weeks around the time they give birth, were willingly relinquished to HSI/UK in support of the charity’s Crate Escape campaign to ban use of the cruel cages known as farrowing crates. 

Every year on UK farms, around 200,000 sows are confined for up to five weeks at a time, several times a year, in metal cages so small they can’t even turn around, causing them physical and mental suffering. At just a few years of age, having been repeatedly bred but no longer considered productive, the two pigs were due to be sent to slaughter but instead the farmer entrusted them to HSI/UK to live the rest of their lives in freedom and as campaign ambassadors.

Photos and video footage of the two pigs before and after their rescue, can be downloaded here.

Photos of pigs in farrowing crates on the farm, including a range of health problems, can be downloaded here.

The farmer who gave up the pigs wishes to remain anonymous but believes that farrowing crates are cruel and hopes the pigs’ story will help HSI/UK persuade politicians to ban the practice. The farm has used farrowing crates for over 35 years, but the farmer now believes that farmers should be supported financially to end their use because of the suffering endured by pigs. The farmer told HSI/UK: “It’s hard watching them so upset. When an animal’s telling you ‘I do not want to be in here, I’m going to do my best to escape’ and then you’re like, ‘I’m going to have to tie you in’, that feels cruel. It bothers me every day.”

They added: “I really hope that we move on from this sort of barbaric cage. It doesn’t have to be this way, there are loads of different kinds of free farrowing systems but why aren’t retailers and consumers asking for them? It feels like they don’t know the reality of what’s going on behind farm gates. I think we do really need to change the script. We’ve got to have support from governments – both the money and the right policies. I don’t think putting sows through weeks of crate confinement six, seven or eight times in their lives can be justified any more.”

Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs at Humane Society International/UK, who helped to rescue the pigs, said: “Across the UK right now some 200,000 mother pigs are hidden away suffering behind bars. Such big numbers can mask the fact that each one is an intelligent, sensitive individual. Studies have found that pigs are smarter than dogs and even 3-year-old children, and yet they are routinely subjected to this appalling cruelty. That’s why it is so important that we were able to rescue them and tell the stories of these two mums. The farmer’s account of the suffering caused by crates is heartbreaking and dealing with distressed and depressed animals takes its toll on farmers’ mental health.

Almost two-thirds of British people have never heard of farrowing crates, meaning that they’re also unaware of the intense suffering that they cause. Few people would dream of keeping a dog confined in a metal crate so small they couldn’t even turn around for five long weeks, and our Crate Escape campaign aims to create the same compassion and respect for pigs. We’re urging all governments in the UK, as well as retailers, to commit to supporting farmers financially to get rid of these cruel and unnecessary cages for mother pigs.”

The pigs – who will soon be named by HSI/UK’s supporters – have been given a permanent home at Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Brentwood, Essex. At the sanctuary they will be free to stretch their legs on grass, root around in the mud, and carry out all the other natural behaviours that were denied to them during their time in farrowing crates.

HSI/UK is calling on all political parties to commit to banning farrowing crates and providing support to farmers to help them move away from using these archaic and cruel confinement devices. Take action for mother pigs by signing the petition here.

Notes

  • Polling data shows that 63% of British people have not heard of farrowing crates. 
  • Fewer than one in five people in Britain (19.8%) support the use of pig farrowing crates once the intended purpose (protecting piglets from being crushed) and the movement restrictions imposed by farrowing crates are described to them.  
  • Two-thirds of those polled would support governments providing financial support to farmers to transition away from using the devices, and only 15.5% would oppose a ban.  
  • Polling was carried out by Survation via online panel, with 1,074 total UK respondents, in March 2023. 
  • The full interview with the farmer is available here. 

ENDS

Media contact: Sally Ivens, media and communications senior specialist at HSI/UK: sivens@hsi.org  ; 07590 559299

Humane Society International

HSI

On May 22, Humane Society International hosted a webinar with three companies that have successfully transitioned to sourcing eggs exclusively from cage-free hens. Representing various business sectors, retailer Casa Santa Luzia, global hotel chain Marriott, and pet food company Special Dog, have each demonstrated how corporations can expand their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives by transitioning to a cage-free supply chain.

HSI kicked off the webinar with an overview of the growing number of companies prioritizing animal welfare in their ESG initiatives. Globally, over 2,000 companies, including more than 160 in Brazil, have committed to transitioning to cage-free practices. HSI commended Casa Santa Luzia, Marriott, and Special Dog for their successful transitions to cage-free production systems, noting that the companies are sending a powerful message to their peers and producers, while changing the lives of countless animals for the better.

Representing the retail sector, Casa Santa Luzia, a high-end retailer from the state of São Paulo, opened the panel discussion. Luciana Lopes, coordinator of the Sustainable Action Program at Casa Santa Luzia, provided an overview of the company’s commitment to sustainable practices and its supply chain process. “The retail sector plays a very important role in educating on sustainability. And that is what we are trying to do every day,” said Lopes. In 2023, Casa Santa Luzia sold 2.5 million shell eggs, and will continue to only sell eggs from cage-free hens moving forward.

Next to speak was Marriott, represented by Jason Silva, the company’s procurement manager at Renaissance Hotel São Paulo. Silva emphasized Marriott’s dedication to high animal welfare standards and sustainable practices among its suppliers. Acknowledging HSI’s crucial support, Silva stated, “HSI has been helping us understand if suppliers are, in fact, meeting the parameters we want in terms of animal welfare. This is the most critical part of our company’s process of homologation [assessing and aligning] of new suppliers.” In 2023, the company purchased approximately 2.5 million shell eggs and 27 thousand pasteurized eggs.

Special Dog, the first pet food company in Brazil to complete its cage-free transition, concluded the presentations. João Paulo, Special Dog’s sustainable development manager, emphasized how animal welfare is essential in producing high quality pet food, indicating that the company has expanded its commitments to sustainable practices accordingly. Paulo stated, “Special Dog’s sustainability initiatives reach consumers and is today a competitive differential compared to other pet food manufactured brands. Cage-free comes to add to these efforts.” It is estimated that the lives of over 100,000 hens have been positively affected by the company’s shift to cage-free practices.

Anna Souza, policy and program manager in Farm Animal Welfare and Protection at HSI Brazil, closed the event with a final message: “A commitment to cage-free sourcing is not only a pledge to improve animal welfare, but a foundation for the sustainable development of businesses in all sectors. The future of egg production is cage-free.”

The full event recording can be accessed here (in Portuguese).

Recordings per section can be found below:

ENDS

Media contact: Anna Cristina Souza: asouza@hsi.org.

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

“We just can’t justify putting sows in farrowing crates any more.” – a British farm manager shares insights into the impact of confinement for sows, and perspective on how the sector must change

HSI/UK made contact with a British pig farm, which wishes to remain anonymous. The farm has used farrowing crates for over 35 years but the farm manager now believes that farmers should be supported financially to stop using crates, because of the suffering they cause. This is the testimony of the farm manager, who wants the public and politicians to understand the tragic impact crate confinement has on these intelligent animals. The farm agreed for HSI/UK to re-home two sows at the end of what the industry considers their productive breeding lives, in order for their stories and experiences to be understood.

Why are farrowing crates used?
Farrowing crates are supposed to protect piglets from being crushed but they don’t always do that. Piglets are pretty resilient and can be lain on for a short time and survive but the problem in crates is that once the sows are down they can’t be bothered to get back up again. It took them ages to go down because it was so uncomfortable, so even if they realise there’s a piglet under them they’re like, ‘no, I’m not getting up’. These crates are not a lifesaving cradle like some people have said they are, particularly when we’ve got huge litters with weak piglets.

How do the sows react, being locked into farrowing crates?
When they first go into a farrowing crate, it’s very, very stressful and scary for them. It’s a dead end, and then they’re suddenly shut in and then they can’t turn around or anything. Our first time mothers sometimes try to escape the crates, and they’ll bite and paw and try to back out. I’ve had gilts escape, tried to literally climb out of the crates, it’s hard watching them so upset. When an animal’s telling you ‘I do not want to be in here, I’m going to do my best to escape’ and then you’re like, ‘I’m going to have to tie you in’, that feels cruel. It bothers me every day. But you know, in order to do your job every day, you have to park it.

Over the course of their life they farrow multiple times, by the time they get to their sixth or seventh litter, they are still reluctant to be shut in the crates but they’re more just resigned to it. Over time they get emotionally broken, it’s sad.

When we let them out of the crates they’re just desperate to roll in mud, water, anything cool to wallow in. They remind me of dogs at the beach.

What are some of the behavioural challenges for a sow kept in a crate for several weeks?
They have a strong desire to nest build and they can get very frustrated trying to do that in a farrowing crate. We provide enrichment like a handful of fresh straw every day but it’s still not a lot. They are rooting at the bars and rooting at the concrete and all they want to do is make a nest, you know, for the safety of their piglets.

Nesting helps them to release all the hormones that are required for the farrowing process, and we’re essentially shutting that down by restraining them in a non-enriched environment. It can have a really negative consequence on the sow and the piglet’s relationship and sometimes the sow will bite and even kill her own piglets. Luckily we don’t get it very often, but all sorts of horrible things happen.

Do the crates cause physical pain and suffering?
We get a lot of shoulder sores because they’re lying on their sides longer and they often get so, so unbothered about moving posture that it’s essentially a pressure sore. If we don’t treat them quickly the piglets could start licking and eating them and then the wound gets really big.

We’ve seen pigs’ height and length increase significantly over the last 20 years, they’re bred to be bigger and bigger and the crates haven’t changed. So the pigs no longer fit into the crates as well as they used to, we have a few sows that are too big for the crates, so they’re essentially touching the bars all the time. For some of the longer sows there’s no room for their head, so when they lie down, their head is on top of their feed trough and drinker. That must be so uncomfortable for them stuck in that position for four weeks, it actually makes me wince. We had to develop extension bars to make the crate bigger.

Pushing the sows to have larger litters is also a problem for the sows and the piglets. We artificially inseminate using semen sent through the post. We changed our supplier and started getting a lot of enormous litters of 18, 19, 20 piglets, where there’s more piglets than then sow can feed. We had to put excess piglets down regularly. Between increasing the physical dimensions of the sows and increasing the number of piglets born, we’ve pushed them into being like an absolute machine, it can’t carry on indefinitely this way, being all about productivity at the expense of the animals’ welfare.

They also damage themselves on the crate trying to lie down or flip over, they can catch their teats with their own feet and rip them, and damage their vulvas on the back of the crate.

And the piglets’ space, for the weeks they’re in the crate, becomes very, very constricted very quickly. They try to play but the only space away from the sow is about the body length of a piglet, so there’s really no room to manoeuvre. And the piglets can get sore knees, elbows and feet from the floors too. The bigger the litter the more we see piglet sores that can lead to infection and lameness.

The law requires that farms provide enrichment materials that enable pigs to fulfil their essential behavioural needs. Is that possible in practice?
Our standard enrichment is they get about half a bucket of wood shavings and they get about half a leaf of straw every day, and the sows eat a lot of straw, so a lot of that will vanish. We try a range of enrichment, hessian sacks are good, but you’ve got to be on enrichment all the time not just put it in and forget about it. The blocks on chains can get snagged around the top of the crate so that they can’t get hold of them, or they can push the straw out of reach then that’s really frustrating. If they weren’t given any enrichment at all, then they will absolutely smash up their face during nesting, biting at the bars, biting at their food trough.

We speak to the girls every day, give them a scratch – they love a scratch and they get all squeaky and you know they love those little bits of interaction with us. It’s like the highlight of their day, but imagine 2 minutes, you know, in 24 hours where somebody’s showing you some appreciation. It’s not very great. Seeing them sitting there depressed day after day after day with their heads hung low, it just screams depression to me.

We quite often have pigs who essentially just go into a glazed vegetative state where their sole purpose is to just lie still and provide milk, and they barely eat. Sometimes they lose 100 kilos in three or four weeks and it’s horrible. And if the sow isn’t feeding then her milk can be affected, which can reduce the weaning weight of the piglets. We try everything to get them interested in eating again.

You’ve looked at free-farrowing pens, what are the advantages there?
In the farrowing pens you see them throwing the straw around making their nest and they’re really active and it’s clearly such a big box ticked for them. Seeing how they interact physically, being able to touch their piglets and move around and nurse them and then sometimes tell them off as well, it’s all so much better than what they experience in crates.

Temporary crating wouldn’t be so bad if it was only used to protects the piglets for up to five days, but often the sows just don’t get let out after that time, and sometime they get shut in before nesting. And there’s nobody inspecting that kind of thing.

What are the barriers to farmers wanting to move away from crates?
It will be the meat price, I would say. Unless we could get a quality assurance sticker, with a big enough mark up to pay for the cost. How are we supposed to invest in big welfare changes when we’re getting so many cheap meat imports from the continent and from elsewhere outside of the EU?

It feels like British consumers should be asking more questions and given more answers about their food, where it was raised and how it existed, the food miles. We also have the problem that people want cheap meats 24/7. It used to be a valued product and now it’s a pocket snack.

What are your hopes for the future of farrowing in British pig farming? And what should the Government do?
I really hope that we move on from this sort of barbaric cage. It’s a horrible system and there are so many better ways out there, with less suffering, less injuries, stress and illness. It doesn’t have to be this way, there are loads of different kinds of free farrowing systems but why aren’t retailers and consumers asking for them? It feels like they don’t know the reality of what’s going on behind farm gates. I think we do really need to change the script.

Yes, indoor free farrowing is more expensive, but we need to find the money to shift. We’ve got to have support from government – both the money and the right policies. I don’t think putting sows through weeks of crate confinement six, seven or eight times in their lives can be justified any more.

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