A Big Win for #CageFreeSA: SPAR Commits to Ethical Egg Sourcing by 2030

An important milestone for a #CageFreeSA! SPAR is taking action towards sustainability and ethical sourcing, committing to going 100% cage-free for SPAR branded eggs by 2030.

This is a big step by one of South Africa’s biggest retailers towards a kinder, more sustainable food system! The cage-free pledge by Spar has been long in the making, firstly, congratulations to the Humane World for Animals South Africa (formerly Humane Society International - Africa) for helping Spar to get over the line.

The road leading up to this announcement has been a long one. SAFCEI previously engaged Spar, and three other major food retailers, in 2019, through the “Sustainable Retailers Forum”. We met on a number of occasions over some months with the forum. We shared extensive research by Eategrity and others on the facts: data on hen welfare, avian flu, information about the economics of different types of laying systems, importance of a label of assurance along with standards, and the myriad of reasons why South African retailers need to commit to getting hens out of cages.

At that time, the Sustainable Retailers Forum refused to move forward without a collective decision. So, we approached Spar directly, citing their other campaigns as indicative of the leadership role they could play in getting hens out of cages in South Africa. We are happy that they finally have made the commitment to be #CageFree by 2030.

This decision is good news not just for animal welfare, but for human health, for the environment, sustainability, ethical leadership, and for business. It’s a win all around and a great moment to celebrate!