Two more state WIC programs have added cage-free eggs to their supplemental nutrition programs at the start of 2024—the final year before many national retailer cage-free commitments are due to come into effect. This brings the total number of states that allow WIC shoppers to purchase cage-free eggs to 34, representing 72.0% of all WIC participants, or roughly 4.6 million people. Louisiana and Alaska are the latest states to approve higher welfare eggs for lower income families Louisiana, the #24 largest state by WIC participation, authorized cage-free and organic eggs on their food card in February, shortly after Alaska #46 added several cage-free egg brands to their list of WIC-approved foods. These states join the likes of California, Texas, and Florida—the three largest WIC states—in removing the income barrier to this higher welfare, and oftentimes healthier, food choice. Retailers continue to transition to 100% cage-free by 2025 These state WIC approvals come as agencies work to ensure participants still have access to eggs as leading retailers march towards their commitments to sell only cage-free eggs. Target, Walmart and Albertsons all have commitments to reach 100% by 2025. The latest version of Compassion in World Farming’s EggTrack report—the seventh annual edition—shows that Target is reporting 57% of its eggs are currently cage-free, Walmart is at 21% and Albertsons is at 27%. Publix, which has a commitment to reach 100% cage-free by 2026 remains at around 60%. States await decision on funding package While most states continue to authorize cage-free eggs, some agencies are waiting on the outcome of a new WIC funding decision by the United States Congress before deciding to expand access. At the end of January, Senate and House Appropriations chairs announced that they had reached an agreement on funding allocations for fiscal year 2024 Appropriations bills, but those allocations have yet to be made public. If WIC does receive full funding as we cautiously expect, states will have even more reason to authorize cage-free eggs in the future. The last state to do so is a rotten egg!
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Check to see if your state WIC program authorizes cage-free eggs https://www.ciwf.com/public-policy/cage-free-and-wic/
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Hi everyone,
Fórum Animal is pleased to announce that Piscicultura Água Pura/Recanto Sol Nascente has publicly committed to improving the welfare of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)! The company has reinforced its commitment in 2025 to continue implementing the following practices:
· Daily assessment of water quality
· Removal of predators from tanks
· Transporting animals only in good quality water
The company primarily sells live animals. However, when slaughter is necessary, the public commitment also ensures that animals will be slaughtered with adequate prior stunning methods such as electric stunning or percussive shock.
Fórum Animal engaged in friendly negotiations with the company in April 2025 based on our "Guidelines for Commitment to Animal Welfare in Fish Farming". We estimate that this commitment will benefit 300,000 tilapia annually in Brazil!
Check out the commitment in Portuguese [here].
We will continue negotiating fish welfare commitments with other companies to expand the positive impact on millions of lives.
For the animals!
Hi FAST!
The ongoing egg crisis continues to challenge the foodservice industry with shortages and soaring prices—but smart, plant-based substitutions offer operators easy, sustainable solutions to supply chain volatility. Last month, Greener by Default hosted a webinar with three culinary leaders to share their tips, tricks, and practical takeaways for foodservice professionals looking to looking to make their menus more resilient and cost-effective through subtle, plant-based swaps, without compromising on taste or diner experience.
The insights and experiences shared by our three expert chefs were so incredibly helpful and action-oriented, we've distilled them down into three key strategies and published them on our blog, and created a highlight reel so as many foodservice professionals as possible can access the knowledge that was shared during the session.
Please feel free to read, watch, and share these links with anyone you think could benefit from this discussion around navigating the egg crisis:
Blog post: https://www.greenerbydefault.com/blog/navigating-egg-crisis-recap
Highlight reel:
