Poultry industry leaders recognised at Good Farm Animal Welfare awards

Cage-free pioneers not only in Europe and the US, but also across Asia, and Latin America – regions often seen as challenging markets, yet home to many of this year’s Good Egg Award winners – highlighting the growing global momentum for cage-free production were recognised in this year’s Compassion in World Farming Animal Welfare awards.

There were 13 Good Egg Award winners this year from across the globe, which were recognised for their cage-free egg commitments, including the first Good Egg Award in India for producer Happy Hens Farm.

Other winners included: Lidl (Spain & Poland); Kipster (NL/US); Sizenhoubokujyou Otafuku Tamago (Japan); Natura Farm brands: ‘Natura Cage-Free Eggs’ and ‘Ecocco’ (Japan); Than-Kuhn Farm (Japan); Klong Phai Farm (Thailand); Planalto Ovos (Brazil); Ferrero (Italy); Hill’s Pet Nutrition (EU), Hainan Xin Nong Biological Technology Co., Ltd – Coconut Grove Eggs (China), and Joyful Farm in Carbon-neutral Woods (China).

Since 2019, 100% of the eggs sold at Lidl Spain, both fresh and ingredient, have been cage-free, solidifying the company’s position as a leader and pioneer in Spain’s retail sector. Lidl Poland is also making significant progress, with 58% of its shell eggs and 99% of eggs in its own-brand products now cage-free.

Kipster

Dutch producer Kipster was awarded the Good Egg Award for expanding its higher-welfare, carbon-neutral egg production model to the US. All Kipster eggs come from cage-free hens housed in facilities that provide natural light, outdoor access, and climbing structures. Committed to sustainability, Kipster measures and reduces on-farm greenhouse gas emissions and incorporates solar panels. It is the first US egg producer to commit to adopting in-ovo sexing to eliminate the culling of male chicks and holds Certified Humane status, a leading third-party animal welfare certification for humane egg production.

Ruud Zanders, co-founder of Kipster: “This is a profound honour for Kipster as it affirms our unwavering commitment to the care and attention we put into ensuring the welfare of our birds. This award fuels our passion to produce a truly better egg while always innovating to foster a compassionate and sustainable food system.”

Happy Hens

Happy Hens Farm is an emerging leader in the Indian poultry industry and is the first company from India to be presented with a Good Egg Award in recognition of their mission to encourage more farmers to adopt cage-free systems, increasing awareness and demand for cage-free eggs across India.

Their impact extends beyond their own operations, having played a pivotal role in establishing Asia’s first consortium for alternative poultry, the ‘Cage-Free & Free-Range Poultry Producers Association’. Additionally, they are developing India’s first cage-free training facility, which from 2025 will train over 1,000 farmers annually, further advancing higher welfare farming practices across the country.

Compassion also presented Ferrero with a global Good Egg Award at the ceremony in Paris, celebrating their ongoing dedication to expanding cage-free practices across their global operations.

Awards in the US

Compassion’s Good Chicken Award is aligned to the Better Chicken Commitment to deliver better breeds, more space to live, provision of natural light, perches and pecking substrates to stimulate natural behaviours, humane slaughter, and third-party auditing and annual public reporting.

All 5 Good Chicken Award* recipients were from the US: LaBelle Patrimoine, Applegate, Campfire Treats, Evermore Pet Foods and Wild Nosh Pets.

LaBelle Patrimoine is dedicated to animal welfare and sustainable farming, raising healthier, slower-growing breeds with outdoor access to enriched environments. The latest US producer to sign the Better Chicken Commitment, they aim to fulfil this commitment by 2027. As one of the few USDA-approved regeneratively raised producers, they also focus on improving soil health and carbon sequestration.

Applegate, a leading US producer of natural and organic meat products, was one of the first to companies to sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment in 2017.  They are 100% compliant with on-farm standards for lighting, litter, enrichments, and stocking density. They’ve transitioned 50% of their supply to humane slaughter methods and 10% to higher welfare breeds, aiming for full compliance by 2028.

Carolyn Gahn, senior director, mission and advocacy at Applegate: “We are thrilled to receive the Compassion in World Farming Good Chicken Award. Animal welfare has always been at the heart of what we do at Applegate. Offering chickens space to move freely and to peck, roost and be, well, chicken-y are table stakes for us. We look forward to a day when these standards are embraced throughout the food system.”

The other 3 Good Chicken Award winners were pet food manufacturers. Campfire Treats is the first US company to become fully compliant with the US Better Chicken Commitment, setting an example for more than just pet food companies. In 2021, they signed up to the Better Chicken Commitment, and within just 2 years, they have successfully met all of the criteria.

Evermore Pet Food was the second company to be fully compliant with the Better Chicken Commitment in the US, fully implementing its commitment in less than 2 years by switching their supply to a higher welfare breed.  

Finally, Wild Nosh Pets is the latest addition to the growing list of 100% Better Chicken Commitment (BCC) compliant manufacturers in the US. After signing up in 2023, they moved swiftly to transition their entire supply to BCC-compliant products in 2024.

Awards in China

Recognition is also due to the 4 winners of Compassion’s Chinese Good Chicken Production Award and the 2 winners of the Good Egg Production Award, many of whom achieved the maximum 5-star rating and will celebrate their awards at a special ceremony in China.

Turkeys, too

Klong Phai Farm in Thailand not only received a Good Egg Award but also a Good Turkey Award for its commitment to high-welfare turkey farming. By using slower-growing breeds, providing outdoor access for natural behaviours, and raising turkeys without hormones or antibiotics, the farm promotes animal well-being. Their ethical practices have made them a trusted supplier to over 300 hotels and restaurants, improving the welfare of thousands of turkeys annually.

Businesses in poultry represented globally

Dr Tracey Jones, global director for food business, Compassion in World Farming: “The geographical diversity, range of species, and the vast number of animals set to benefit from this year’s award winners are truly remarkable. With businesses represented from not only Europe and the UK, but also India, Japan, China, Thailand, New Zealand, and across the Atlantic to Brazil, Chile, and the USA, the global reach of Compassion’s message for positive change is clearly evident. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the winners.”

She added: “It’s inspiring to see so many companies in the poultry sector proving that successful business models can thrive while prioritising animal welfare. Cages are the very symbol of factory farming, making it all the more rewarding to recognise the global commitments of our Good Egg Award winners, as they work to eliminate cages for laying hens and pave the way for a more humane future. To create a truly future-fit food system, we now need legislators to follow their exemplary lead.”