Today, the European Commission announced its commitment to ban the caging of all farmed animals across the European Union by 2027.

The historic commitment will free 300 million animals from cages. As the world moves away from outdated and cruel intensive confinement of animals in cages, Aotearoa is lagging behind.

SAFE Campaigns Manager Jessica Chambers said it’s time for our Government to follow suit.

"If the EU can free 300 million animals in seven years, the Labour Government can fulfill its 2017 commitment to free the 1.2 million hens imprisoned in colony cages right here in Aotearoa," said Chambers.

Hens in a colony cage system do not even have enough room to spread their wings. In 2014 and 2017, the Labour Party made commitments to end intensive farming, including banning the caging of hens in New Zealand, but to date, no action has yet been taken.

"We’ve heard from Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor that his aim is for New Zealand to be global leaders in animal welfare. As long as hens are in cages, we’ll never meet that goal. It’s time for him to act on his party’s promises to free hens."

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