Our commitment on cage-free eggs

The small number of our businesses that purchase eggs are either already sourcing cage-free eggs or have a cage-free commitment in progress. In 2022 we made a commitment that by the end of 2025, all our businesses that purchase eggs would be cage-free, except those in Brazil, which would be cage-free by 2028.

Since 2022, our businesses have made progress towards increasing the number of cage-free eggs they purchase, collectively reaching 26% globally in 2023/24. Regionally, by volume, 44% of the eggs purchased in Europe were cage-free, 23% in the Americas and 42% in Australia and New Zealand. Several of our businesses which purchase eggs, including ABF Sugar and Westmill Foods, purchased 100% cage-free eggs in the reporting year. Allied Bakeries and George Weston Foods have increased the volumes of cage-free eggs they buy and are on track to reach the 100% target by the end of 2025.

AB Mauri is a significant purchaser of eggs within the Group. In Europe, AB Mauri businesses have either reached 100% cage-free already or aim to do so by the end of 2025. In the Americas AB Mauri aims to reach 100% cage-free status by 2030. In Brazil, where the cage-free egg industry is less advanced, we are realistic that the transition to 100% cage-free will take significantly longer than initially expected. AB Mauri is now targeting a more realistic 50% cage-free egg purchasing in Brazil by 2028 and 100% by 2030. We are setting these goals but we recognise that unexpected events, such as the current avian flu epidemic, make meeting long-term targets challenging.