The Open Wing Alliance Hosts Fifth Annual Global Summit to End Cages

Gathering animal welfare experts and activists from 80 organizations in 63 countries

NEW YORK, June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Open Wing Alliance (OWA) hosts the fifth annual Global Summit to End Cages June 14-16, gathering hundreds of animal welfare experts and activists from around the globe. Initiated by The Humane League, the global coalition of 80 animal protection organizations across 63 countries works towards a shared goal to end the abuse of chickens worldwide. The coalition's first step is eliminating battery cages from our global food system, and they're working towards that vision one cage-free policy at a time.

"Major companies around the world are ditching cages, and consumer demand for cage-free eggs is growing," says Alexandria Beck, Director of the Open Wing Alliance. "It's time for all food companies to take the necessary steps to meet global animal welfare standards, proving that they take human health and animal welfare seriously."

The Global Summit comes amidst a global animal welfare campaign urging Toridoll, a leading Japanese restaurant company, to eliminate battery cages from its egg supply chains around the world. Toridoll, owner of Marugame Udon, Wok to Walk, Shoryu Ramen, Pokeworks, Konas Coffee, Boat Noodle, Monster Curry, Tamjai Samgor Mixian, Tamjai Hunnan Mixian, among others, currently falls behind competitors in terms of global animal welfare standards.

Nearly 2,900 cage-free commitments, more than 100 of which encompass a company's entire global supply chains, have been made by some of the largest companies in the world, including KFC, Burger King, Dunkin', Krispy Kreme, Nestlé, Aldi, Kraft Heinz, and Shake Shack. According to the 2022 Cage-Free Fulfillment Report released last month by the OWA, 88% of all cage-free egg commitments with deadlines of 2021 or earlier have been fulfilled. This groundbreaking new data lays the foundation for companies across industries who have upcoming cage-free pledge deadlines to fulfill.

• Food Safety: Battery cages pose serious health risks for humans. They are 25x more likely to be contaminated with salmonella, raising major food safety concerns for consumers.
• Confinement: Egg-laying hens are forcefully shoved inside wire cages, which are so overcrowded that they cannot carry out basic, natural behaviors, causing some to die in their cages.
• Injuries: Foot and claw damage are more frequent in cages, with lesions and fissures resulting from the sharp wiring. Often, body parts are caught in the caging, resulting in broken bones, deformities, and severe feather loss.
• Mental Anguish: Chickens are highly motivated to perform natural behaviors, which they are unable to do in cages, which leads to unending frustration.

For more information, click here. Follow along with the cage-free movement: @GlobalCageFree.

The Open Wing Alliance is a global coalition of animal protection organizations focused on creating a unified front in our campaign to end the abuse of chickens worldwide. The alliance was founded in 2016 by The Humane League and has grown into a global force with 80 member organizations changing the way the world's biggest companies treat animals and setting a new standard for corporate animal welfare policies locally—in every major market—and globally.

Media Contact:
Julia Wisner
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SOURCE The Open Wing Alliance