In May, Walmart announced that its food suppliers should adhere to greater animal welfare standards. This announcement received wide support from animal rights groups, and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) endorsed Walmart’s move. Following suit, General Mills announced that it would commit to sourcing 100% of its eggs from cage-free facilities. The company released a statement proclaiming that it would “commit to working toward 100 percent cage free eggs for our U.S. operations.” Although Walmart and General Mills’ announcements signal a significant turning of the tide with respect to animal welfare and a tipping point in terms of the market power that can be wielded to encourage stronger animal welfare standards, they fall short of what is necessary to implement timely, lasting, and meaningful reforms.
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