Sweden Achieves Milestone: No Hens in Cages
Sweden becomes the first country to eliminate caged hens, thanks to advocacy efforts by Djurens Rätt.
Key Points
- • No hens are kept in cages in Sweden, marking a historic achievement for animal rights.
- • Sweden is the only country to achieve this without a legal ban.
- • Djurens Rätt's campaigns since 2008 have led to commitments from over 85 companies against caged eggs.
- • The organization stresses the need for a legal ban to prevent the return of caged systems.
In a historic victory for animal rights in Sweden, no hens are now kept in cages, making the country the first in the world to accomplish this feat without a legal ban. This significant achievement is attributed to the dedicated advocacy of animal rights organization Djurens Rätt, which has campaigned for decades to improve the welfare of hens. Benny Andersson, the general secretary of Djurens Rätt, emphasized the importance of this milestone, noting it is both a triumph for hen welfare and a reflection of the commitment from supporters.
Djurens Rätt's successful efforts involved years of scientific reporting, public awareness initiatives, and direct engagement with food corporations and policymakers. Since 2008, over 85 businesses, including prominent food chains and hotels, have made pledges to refrain from using caged eggs, resulting in the liberation of at least 17 million hens. The organization also collected 50,000 signatures for the EU initiative 'End the Cage Age', which aims for a continent-wide ban on cage farming by 2026.
Despite the positive developments, Djurens Rätt is advocating for a legal ban on cage farming in Sweden to ensure that the progress made is not undone. This call for legislative action underscores the organization's ongoing commitment to animal rights, reflecting both the achievements of the past and the challenges that lie ahead.
The movement against caged hens has roots that date back over 50 years, with Sweden’s parliament initially enacting a ban in 1988. However, compliance issues led to revisions that allowed cage farming to persist, prompting Djurens Rätt to amplify its campaign through influential reports, including 'Hönan eller ägget' in 2009 and 'Släpp burarna' in 2022.
As Sweden celebrates this watershed moment in animal rights, the focus shifts to safeguarding these gains through firm legislation, ensuring the future welfare of hens remains protected.