Walmart Joins Cage-Free Egg Movement

The addition of the nation’s biggest grocery chain will likely lead to lower prices.

April 08, 2016

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Walmart announced this week that it would also sell only cage-free eggs by 2025, joining McDonald’s, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Wendy’s and others committing to purchasing eggs from hens housed more humanely, USA Today reports.

Cage-free eggs are often pricier than conventional counterparts, but the move of more companies to support cage-free eggs will likely lower the cost. “We expect that as cage-free eggs shift from a specialty product to the industry standard over the next decade, that change will be reflected for our customers in pricing,” said Kevin Gardner, a Walmart spokesman.

Studies have found a very small difference in cost between producing cage-free eggs and conventional eggs—the large difference is in living conditions of the hens. “Currently, the majority of hens are confined to battery cages, where birds are crowded together so tightly that they don’t even have room to flap their wings,” said Nancy Roulston, director of corporate engagement for farm animal welfare at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

United Egg Producers has pledged its support in helping retailers transition to cage-free eggs and suppliers to meet the increased demand. Only 6% of eggs currently on the market are from cage-free hens. Meanwhile, changing over from caged to cage-free systems will be slow and costly for poultry farmers. 

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