AVN Web Desk
As many as 13 innovative companies from Europe, the US, Asia, and Latin America received the prestigious Good Egg Award at the Compassion in World Farming’s annual Animal Welfare Awards event held recently under the global momentum for cage-free egg production, reflecting a growing commitment to animal welfare across diverse markets.
Among the award recipients were international retailers such as Lidl in Spain and Poland, as well as pioneering producers like Kipster (Netherlands/US) and India’s Happy Hens Farm—the first Indian company to achieve this accolade for its efforts to expand cage-free practices and co-establish Asia’s first alternative poultry consortium. The company aims to launch India’s first cage-free training facility by 2025.
Kipster was recognised for its expansion into the US, bringing its sustainable and carbon-neutral farming model, including in-ovo sexing technology to prevent male chick culling.
Italian confectionery giant Ferrero was commended for its continued commitment to cage-free eggs, while Lidl Spain, which has sold only cage-free eggs since 2019, and Japan’s Sizenhoubokujyou Otafuku Tamago also featured among the winners.
In the US, the Good Chicken Award was given to five companies, including Applegate and LaBelle Patrimoine, for advancing better welfare practices as part of the Better Chicken Commitment. Klong Phai Farm in Thailand received dual recognition with both the Good Egg and Good Turkey Awards for hormone-free and antibiotic-free rearing practices.
Dr. Tracey Jones, Compassion’s Global Director, hailed the winners as proof that prioritising animal welfare can be both humane and financially viable, urging policymakers to follow the industry’s lead towards a more ethical food system.
