Walmart US is to become a 100% cage-free egg supply chain by 2025, a step which the company says represents a commitment to continuously improving its food supply chain while maintaining the affordable prices that customers expect.
Stating that its customers and associates count on Walmart to offer transparency concerning how its food is grown and raised, the company’s chief sustainability officer, Kathleen McLaughlin, added: “Our commitment to transition to a cage-free egg supply chain recognises that expectation.”
The company’s cage-free goals include:
- Transition to a 100% cage-free egg supply chain, based on available supply, affordability and customer demand by 2025.
- Require 100% of shell egg suppliers to be certified and fully compliant with United Egg Producers (UEP) animal husbandry guidelines or equivalent standard; monitor compliance via annual third party.
- Challenge suppliers to use selective breeding practices, innovation and best management practices to improve the health and welfare of laying hens.
Walmart also said it will monitor and report on supplier’s continuous improvement against these measures through its sustainability index, a tool that helps the company track the environmental impact and sourcing of products throughout the supply chain.
The company’s decision follows a similar commitment made last autumn by McDonald’s who pledged to use 100% cage-free eggs in its fast food outlets in the US and Canada, subject to a transition period of 10 years.
