The Shift Toward Cage-Free Eggs: What Businesses Need to Know🐔🥚

Our community came together online to explore how animal welfare and responsible sourcing can help build more sustainable and resilient food systems.

 

Animal welfare is no longer a niche sustainability topic.

Across the food industry, it is becoming increasingly connected to consumer trust, responsible sourcing, ESG reporting, investor expectations, and long-term business resilience. From retailers and food manufacturers to hospitality groups and caterers, more organisations are exploring how animal welfare fits into their sustainability strategies.

At our June Future Green Members Monthly Meetup, Dawn Neo, Director of Corporate Engagement at Global Food Partners, provided practical insights into how food, retail, and hospitality companies across Asia are advancing cage-free egg sourcing and strengthening animal welfare commitments. Heidi also reflected on the evolution of animal welfare frameworks and why supporting animal welfare is becoming an essential part of building sustainable, resilient food systems.

Why Animal Welfare Matters More Than Ever

Animal welfare influences much more than farm practices.

It is increasingly linked to responsible sourcing, food security, biodiversity, supply chain resilience, and ESG performance. 

As Heidi explained:

 

From the Five Freedoms to the Five Domains

Many organisations are familiar with the Five Freedoms framework, which focuses on reducing suffering through freedom from hunger, discomfort, pain, fear, and the ability to express natural behaviours.

Today, leading organisations are increasingly adopting the Five Domains Model, which goes further by recognising animals as sentient beings capable of positive experiences as well as negative ones.

The Five Domains consider:

• Nutrition
• Environment
• Health
• Behaviour
• Mental State

This shift moves the conversation beyond simply avoiding suffering towards creating conditions where animals can experience wellbeing and live “a life worth living.”

The Five Domains of Animal Welfare and their role in building better food systems. (Source: Modern Poultry)

Why Cage-Free Eggs Have Become a Global Priority

One of the most visible animal welfare issues is the use of conventional cages for laying hens.

Dawn explained that more than 2,000 companies globally have committed to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs within defined timelines, with many targeting 2025–2030. These commitments span hospitality groups, retailers, food manufacturers, and caterers around the world.

Importantly, the momentum is growing across Asia.

Companies such as Minor International, Dairy Farm, SaladStop!, Lotus’s, and Super Indo have all taken steps toward cage-free sourcing, while retailers across the region are expanding cage-free product availability.

As Dawn shared:

 

Cage-free farming supports better animal welfare outcomes. (Source: Global Food Partners)

What Does Cage-Free Actually Mean?

Cage-free does not simply mean removing cages.

The goal is to give hens the opportunity to express natural behaviours such as:

• Nesting
• Perching
• Foraging
• Dust bathing
• Social interaction

Dawn explained how hens naturally seek private nesting spaces, scratch and forage for food, perch at night, and dust bathe to maintain feather health. Cage-free systems are designed to allow these behaviours, helping improve both physical and behavioural welfare outcomes.

However, she also noted an important point:

Cage-free systems allow hens to express natural behaviours such as foraging, nesting, dustbathing, and perching—key elements of good animal welfare. (Source: Global Food Partners)

Turning Commitments into Action

One of the biggest challenges companies face is not deciding to improve animal welfare—it is figuring out how to implement it.

Global Food Partners works directly with food businesses, retailers, hospitality groups, and producers across Asia to help bridge that gap. Their work includes:

• Supplier engagement and training
• Producer support and farm transitions
• Development of cage-free roadmaps
• Industry education
• Building local supply chains

Dawn shared examples from organisations including Compass Group, Best Western, Super Indo, Lagardère Travel Retail, and IKEA, demonstrating how businesses are moving from commitments to measurable implementation.

The Cost Question

One of the most common questions raised during the session was cost.

While cage-free eggs typically cost more to produce, Dawn explained that the overall impact on many hospitality operations is often smaller than businesses initially expect.

Research and industry experience suggest cage-free systems may cost approximately 20–36% more at the egg level, but because eggs are only one component of broader food operations, the overall business impact can be relatively modest.

The discussion also highlighted opportunities to offset costs through:

• Reducing food waste
• Improving operational efficiency
• Diversifying protein sources
• Smarter procurement strategies

Growing availability of cage-free eggs in supermarkets across Asia. (Source: Global Food Partners)

The Connection Between Animal Welfare and Food Waste

An unexpected connection emerged during the discussion.

At our previous meetup on food waste with Winnow Solutions, participants learned that scrambled eggs were one of the largest sources of breakfast buffet waste in many hotel operations.

This sparked an important reflection: if eggs remain such an important part of our food system, being a low cost source of protein for many, businesses should think not only about how they are sourced, but also how they are valued and wasted.

Animal welfare and food waste may seem like separate topics, but both challenge us to build food systems that are more responsible, efficient, and respectful of resources.

Key Takeaways

🥚 Animal welfare is becoming an increasingly important part of ESG and sustainability strategies.

🌱 Cage-free sourcing is gaining momentum across Asia, driven by businesses, investors, retailers, and consumers.

🐔 The Five Domains Model is helping organisations move beyond reducing suffering towards supporting positive animal wellbeing.

🤝 Supplier engagement and collaboration are critical to implementing meaningful animal welfare improvements.

📉 Reducing food waste and improving sourcing practices can work together to create more resilient and responsible food systems.

💬 Audience Insights and Q&A

Q1: Why are companies choosing to adopt cage-free egg commitments?

A: Dawn explained that motivations vary. For some businesses, animal welfare aligns with their company values and sustainability goals. Others are responding to investor expectations, ESG reporting requirements, consumer demand, or responsible sourcing commitments.

Q2: What are the biggest challenges when transitioning to cage-free eggs?

A: Common barriers include supply availability, higher costs, limited access to cage-free egg products such as liquid eggs, supplier readiness, and existing procurement contracts. Global Food Partners helps companies navigate these challenges by working directly with both buyers and producers.

Q3: Does switching to cage-free eggs significantly increase costs?

A: Dawn shared that cage-free eggs typically cost around 20–36% more at production level. However, because eggs often represent a relatively small portion of overall food costs, many businesses find the overall operational impact to be modest. Some organizations offset costs through food waste reduction and more efficient menu planning.

💚 What’s Next?

If this conversation on animal welfare and responsible sourcing resonated with you:

🤝 Connect with Global Food Partners to explore how your organisation can advance animal welfare goals, develop cage-free sourcing strategies, and strengthen responsible sourcing practices through expert guidance and consultation.

👉 Join the Future Green Membership for practical tools, expert insights, and a growing community driving positive change across food and hospitality

📅 Book a discovery call to explore how Future Green can support your sustainability journey

Because reducing food waste is not just about sustainability. It is about building smarter, more resilient, and more efficient food businesses.

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