Sweden has recently celebrated a historic milestone: all egg-laying chickens in the country are now housed in cage-free conditions.
“After decades of determined work, there are no longer any hens kept in cages in Sweden. Sweden is also the only country in the world that has become cage-free without a legal ban,” explains Project 1882, a global animal justice league.
Amazingly, the progress was made thanks to grassroots activism and public pressure from consumers rather than government legislation. Overall, Sweden already had stricter legislation than the European Union law regarding the number of chickens farmers can raise per plot of land. They are also protected under Sweden’s Animal Welfare Act, which ensures that animals used for farming “shall be housed and provided with food, water, and care … appropriate to their physiological and ethological needs.” The latest cage-free achievement makes Sweden a shining example of what is possible for the rest of Europe.
