TORONTO—Loblaw is quietly retreating from its long-standing pledge to sell only cage-free eggs, even as the company sees surging profits and the wealth of its billionaire owners surpasses King Charles.
Since pushing back its 2025 cage-free deadline four years ago, Loblaw Companies Limited has claimed it’s still “committed to transitioning to 100% cage-free eggs.” But the grocery giant’s latest Environmental, Social, and Governance Report (ESG) tells a different tale—one of stalled progress and shifting priorities.
According to the recently issued report, Loblaw will now sell eggs from “enriched” cages for one of their own brands, a significant step backward for a company with a decade-old cage-free policy. Only marginally larger than conventional cages, enriched cages still leave hens confined in filthy conditions, cramped in stacked wire cages, leaving each bird with barely more space than a sheet of paper.
As retailers worldwide move decisively away from cages, based on scientific consensus and rising customer expectations, Loblaw is attempting to backtrack on its cage-free pledge, hoping no one notices.
Nowhere in the world are cages considered part of a meaningful corporate animal welfare commitment. And the largest retailer in Canada, commanding nearly a third of the grocery market, Loblaw’s animal welfare policies are the most influential in the country.
“Canada’s grocery royalty continues to profit off the backs of caged hens, while shoppers are left to choose between affordable food and staying true to their values,” said Camille Labchuk, lawyer and executive director at Animal Justice. “Instead of leading the way on animal welfare, they are protecting profits at the expense of millions of hens who are suffering.”
Contact:
Josh Lynn
Public Relations Manager
[email protected]
Camille Labchuk
Executive Director
[email protected]