Why target Tesco?

...because over a million hens are imprisoned in cages every year to supply Tesco battery eggs.

Despite ever growing public support for free-range farming and scientific evidence showing battery cages can cause serious suffering, Tesco still won't end the sale of eggs from hens in cages – yet this move would help millions of hens.

Market Share

Case Study

Last year Sainsbury's sold almost 580 million eggs, therefore their commitment to go cage free will benefit 2.1 million hens per year.

Asda and Somerfield join Tesco in failing to act on eggs from caged hens, but Tesco gets the Rotten Egg Award because it's the UK's biggest retailer with 31% market share (bigger than Asda and Somerfield put together). It would free over 1 million hens from cages every year if it decided to sell only free-range and barn eggs and would send a strong message to the egg industry that the days of cramped battery cages are over.

Consumer Opinion

Tesco risks brand damage by dragging its feet on the issue of laying hen welfare. A snapshot study of internet opinion published by Spectrum Consulting shows that almost half of the young opinion-formers polled on Facebook are likely to shop elsewhere because of Tesco's stance on chicken welfare.

Consumer research (such as the EU Eurobarometer and polls by the Co-op and Business in the Community) consistently reveal farm animal welfare to be an issue of major concern. In short, does Tesco want to risk its consumers turning away because of this significant gap in its corporate responsibility?

According to The Independent, research carried out by market research company TNS shows sales of intensively reared chickens have fallen by 7% since January’s high profile campaign, meanwhile free-range chickens are selling out due to increased demand. Further research by G2 Data Dynamics has shown that nearly two fifths of consumers have switched to free-range chicken since last month's media coverage.

Take action for Tesco chickens

Tesco has a 31% share of the grocery markets, so a commitment from them to improve the welfare of chickens would represent a huge market for farmers wishing to switch to higher welfare production. For example, with over 3.5 million hens needed to lay the eggs supplied by Tesco each year, a cage-free pledge would really represent a huge welfare benefit to millions of hens.

Send Tesco an ecard now