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Mercy For Animals just launched our first-ever campaign exclusively targeting a Canadian grocery retailer. Here’s why.
The Problem
In 2016, Empire—the parent company behind major Canadian grocery brands Sobeys, Longo’s, Safeway, Farm Boy, and others—publicly promised to go 100% cage-free by 2025. Nearly a decade later, despite ruling over some of Canada’s largest and most profitable grocery brands, Empire has failed to keep their promise, stating in 2021 that they would not meet their original deadline. The country’s second-largest grocery retailer has also failed to share how and when they will fulfill their pledge, having never released an updated deadline.
We’re holding Empire and their sub-brands accountable by demanding that they publish updated, time-bound roadmaps for completing their cage-free egg transitions!
Why It Matters
Chickens are incredible animals with unique personalities and complex relationships. They can empathize with peers in danger and use their experiences to inform decision-making. These birds are also very intelligent and able to understand that recently hidden objects still exist—this is beyond the capability of a two-year-old child! They can recognize dozens of individuals, not only other chickens but also people.
Welfare scientists and other experts agree: Hens in all types of cages suffer immensely. Hens raised for eggs are typically crammed into barren wire cages, known as battery cages. Floor space per bird is smaller than a standard sheet of printer paper. Such confinement often results in painful conditions, including osteoporosis and bone fractures.
The space is so confined that hens are unable to do many activities to satisfy their instinctive drives and desires, such as nesting, perching, dustbathing, jumping, and wing-flapping. Heartbreakingly, many of these birds engage in “sham” nesting, going through the motions without being able to truly nest.
Take Action
Caging hens isn’t a smart business practice; it’s a moral failure. Empire’s executives are making millions while ignoring their cage-free egg commitment. Time’s up for inaction—please join us in demanding a fulfilled cage-free transition!