Philippine retailers are making measurable progress on cage-free egg sourcing, with 3 major chains having completed a full shift to cage-free and most of the sector expanding cage-free egg sales, according to the 2026 Philippine Retailer Industry Cage-Free Egg Progress Report released by Lever Foundation, an international NGO advancing humane and sustainable protein supply chains across Asia.
The report evaluated 23 leading retail brands and found that seven have set a timeline for ending the sale of caged eggs across all operations. Heyday, Healthy Options and FreshStart have already shifted to sourcing 100 percent cage-free eggs across all stores, while e-commerce retailer MetroMart follows closely, with 90 percent of its egg options cage-free.
The sector also saw new commitments take shape. EveGrocer, an e-commerce retailer operating in key cities including Metro Manila and Cebu, expanded the share of cage-free eggs it sells to 50 percent in coordination with local government units and pledged to reach 100 percent cage-free sourcing by 2028.
METRO Retail, which operates more than 70 stores across Metro Manila, Luzon and Visayas, reached 26 percent cage-free eggs across its egg brands and committed to reaching 100 percent cage-free eggs by 2033. All brands under SM Retail — including Walter Mart, SM Supermarket and Alfamart — have transitioned 20 percent to 40 percent of their egg SKUs to cage-free as the group develops a broader cage-free egg policy.
Lever Foundation Sustainability Program lead Robyn Del Rosario, who collaborated with several retail groups to develop their sourcing policies, said the sector is taking meaningful steps toward more humane and sustainable sourcing.
“The progress we are seeing across the sector, from brands that have already completed their transition to cage-free to those that have set a target timeline for shifting 100% of their eggs to cage-free and are steadily building toward that goal, reflects a growing recognition that animal welfare, food safety and sustainability are essential business priorities,” Del Rosario said.
A growing body of peer-reviewed research suggests well-managed cage-free egg production can help reduce the risk of Salmonella contamination compared with conventional caged systems.
The Philippine government recognized the importance of shifting toward cage-free systems in 2020, when the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards developed comprehensive animal welfare guidelines for cage-free egg production. A growing number of Filipino consumers are also choosing to leave eggs off their plates entirely, reflecting a broader shift in how the country thinks about food and its impact.
“We’re encouraged by the momentum we’re seeing and we’re confident that more retailers will set their own policy goals for shifting to 100 percent cage-free egg sourcing,” Del Rosario said.
“We at Lever Foundation are eager to collaborate with additional retailers and share the learnings from those who have already begun or made the transition successfully. Cage-free sourcing is fast becoming the baseline expectation from consumers and the competitive standard in the Philippine market,” said Del Rosario.
Original Article: https://manilastandard.net/business/314763205/philippine-retailers-gain-ground-on-cage-free-eggs-as-industry-wide-shift-takes-hold.html
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