Scientific evidence shows that battery cages cause immense physical and psychological suffering to egg laying hens. © Advocates for Animals.
Penelope Keith presenting Starbucks’ Mark O’Mahony with a Good Egg Award, 2009. The Good Egg Awards acknowledge and applaud companies for going cage-free on eggs. © Compassion in World Farming.
In 2009/10, The Rufford Foundation provided a grant of £50,000 to Compassion in World Farming.
With the backing of The Rufford Foundation, Compassion in World Farming is working to deliver a better future for millions of laying hens, free from the constrictions of the battery cage.
In 1999, the European Union agreed to ban barren battery cages for laying hens from 2012. Compassion in World Farming is now engaged in a 4-year campaign to ensure the ban comes into force as planned, despite considerable political and industry pressures to delay or dilute it.
The battery cage is perhaps the most notorious example of the confinement and cruelty that typifies factory farming. This system of egg production causes extreme physical and psychological suffering as animals are crammed together into tiny wire cages, unable to stretch their wings.
The campaign aims to secure and retain political support for the ban through campaigning and lobbying, whilst stimulating demand for cage-free eggs via the food industry and consumers. The Rufford Foundation has specifically funded partnership work with the food industry during 2009/10:
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Encouraging egg producers, retailers, food manufacturing companies and food service operators to go cage-free.
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Rewarding companies who demonstrate leadership via The Good Egg Awards. So far, over 180 companies and institutions have won awards and an estimated 20 million laying hens are set to benefit each year from their policies.
