The fifth edition of the Canada Animal Welfare Scorecard is out now! As the leading benchmark of corporate animal welfare performance in Canada, this milestone edition assesses more than 40 major food companies on their policies, progress, and reporting.
This year’s scorecard examines the treatment of hens used for eggs and chickens raised for meat, allowing us to assess company progress toward the more than 130 cage-free egg commitments and 50 Better Chicken Commitment policies adopted by Canadian food companies.
Why Accountability Reporting Matters
In 2016, over 100 Canadian food companies promised to eliminate some of the most miserable living conditions faced by the birds used for eggs and meat in their supply chains. Since 2021, Mercy For Animals has been tracking which companies are keeping their promises and which ones are failing.
While this year’s report highlights industry leaders, it also reveals a troubling truth: millions of birds are still trapped in the same harsh conditions that lagging companies committed to ending ten years ago. Today, millions of hens in the egg industry remain in cage confinement that severely restricts their movement and ability to perform natural behaviors like perching, dust bathing, and spreading their wings. Meanwhile, chickens raised for meat continue to be bred to grow so unnaturally large and fast that they suffer from constant pain and muscle disorders.
A decade of delay is a lifetime of suffering for these sentient animals. The 2026 Canada Animal Welfare Scorecard separates the companies making real progress from those clinging to 10 years of excuses.
Which Companies Are Leading the Way or Lagging Behind on Animal Welfare?
The companies featured in this year’s scorecard are ranked from best to worst performers and scored on their public animal welfare policies, progress reporting, and roadmaps for fulfilling their commitments. Since the publication of the last scorecard in 2024, brands such as A&W Canada, Campbell’s, and Subway have set a strong industry example by fully transitioning to cage-free egg sourcing. However, supermarket giants like Loblaw and Sobeys, and well-known breakfast chains Cora and Sunset Grill, are failing to eliminate the worst conditions imaginable for the animals in their supply chains as they originally promised.
The companies featured in the 2026 Canada Animal Welfare Scorecard hold immense market influence and the power to reshape animal welfare standards across Canada. With more than 80% of Canadian consumers expressing a willingness to pay for higher-welfare products, lagging companies no longer have a defense for their inaction. It is critical that these companies stop with the delays and join the global shift toward higher animal welfare standards.
Your Voice Matters
Millions of hens and chickens across Canada are still trapped in miserable conditions because slow-moving companies are failing to follow through on their commitments. Your voice can help drive meaningful progress. Visit CanadaScorecard.ca to view our findings and see how you can help improve the lives of animals in Canada today.
