Autogrill HMSHost announces cage-free commitment in Indonesia
- Carolina Macedo Galvani
- Oct 1, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 10, 2021
After conversations with Act for Farmed Animals (a coalition formed by organizations Sinergia Animal and @Animal Friends Jogja), @HMSHost Autogrill Indonesia has announced a cage-free egg policy in the country with a 2025 deadline. This means that the in-house fabricated products sold in their stores all around Indonesia will no longer be produced with caged hens' eggs. It's a very important step toward freeing laying hens from cages, which is considered one of the cruelest practices in animal agriculture.
The headquarters of HMSHost in Europe have been committed to cage-free eggs since 2019. As part of their global HMSHost International strategy "Start from SomewHERE," the Indonesian subsidiary announced the decision on September 14 and is willing to move forward in conversations about animal welfare.
See their commitment here.
The reality of battery cages
Indonesia is the largest egg-producing country in Southeast Asia and the third leading egg-producing country in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (after China and the USA).
The majority of the 150 million laying hens in the country are kept in battery cages, which is considered one of the cruelest practices in animal agriculture. Hens spend their whole lives in a space smaller than an A4-sized sheet of paper, in which they cannot even walk freely or stretch their wings completely. Because the cages are too crowded, the constant contact of the hens' bodies with the metal bars makes them lose their feathers. The lack of physical exercise causes them to develop painful bone diseases and fractures. Cage-free farms can significantly reduce the suffering of laying hens, as they allow animals to express most of their natural behaviors, such as moving freely, nesting, pecking, and roosting.
Besides that, the food safety conditions of battery-cage systems are also a concern. Major studies conducted in the European Union reveal that the risk of salmonella contamination in cage farms is significantly higher than in cage-free farms. According to the World Health Organization, one of the most prevalent types of salmonella "is estimated to cause 93.8 million cases of acute gastroenteritis and 155,000 deaths globally each year, approximately 85% of which are estimated to be foodborne."
Act for Farmed Animals is working diligently through negotiations and campaigns to get more companies to join this movement in Indonesia. You can be a part of it by donating to our page. With quick and easy online actions, you can help reduce the suffering of millions of animals.
Want to help even more animals? Please support our work as we try to create a more compassionate world: Click here to donate now.
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Autogrill HMSHost's commitment to switching to cage-free eggs in Indonesia is a step in the right direction. Initiatives like these show that even large businesses can have a more ethical approach to sourcing. It also reminds us how important it is to care for animals in general, not just in agriculture but in our personal lives as well. When my cat was having health issues, I turned to dutch pet and was very pleased with their professional approach to treatment.
As someone who has worked in agriculture, I know that the transition from captive to free-range farming is not easy – it requires huge capital investments, different techniques, and cooperation from the That's Not My Neighbor supply chain. But it is possible, and large companies like HMSHost can pave the way, creating a positive ripple effect on other farms.