On February 22, the Environment & Animal Society (EAST) partnered with cross-party legislators to publish the inaugural Asia Cage-Free Benchmark at the Legislative Yuan.

The Benchmark, a collaborative initiative of members of the Open Wing Alliance, compares the efforts of seventeen countries across Asia to support the transition to the cage-free farming of laying hens. The report applies 31 criteria to evaluate countries across three key pillars: Ending Cages, Policy Framework, and Welfare Standards.

Taiwan ranked sixth out of the seventeen countries in the report, scoring 29 out of a possible 140 points. This equates to just one fifth of the points available in the Benchmark and places Taiwan behind South Korea and Bhutan.

Asia is home to more than three billion laying hens, of which close to 90% are confined in cages. The treatment of farmed animals is at the heart of pressing global issues including public health risks, zoonotic disease prevention and food safety, leading the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to call for a “paradigm shift in the way humans interact with animals.”

New Zealand achieved the highest score in the Benchmark, followed by Israel, Australia, Bhutan and South Korea. Taiwan fell outside the top five, ranking sixth. The results show that there is not a direct relationship between wealth and performance in the rankings, with wealthier countries such as Japan and Singapore languishing near the bottom of the ranking table (see Appendix I for full scores).

Wu Hung, Chief Executive of EAST, reflected that Taiwan led other countries in the region when it began its efforts to improve laying hen welfare in 2012. However, in the past five years progress has stagnated as the government has failed to enact the decisive policies needed to lead the transition away from cages.

Polling by the Election Study Center shows that 79% of Taiwanese adults believe battery cages cause hens to suffer, while 58% believe that the government should ban battery cages. Despite this public sentiment, Taiwan received zero points in the Ending Pages pillar of the Benchmark – which assesses progress towards eliminating cages – showing that government action is failing to keep pace with public expectations.

Taiwan fared best in the Policy Framework pillar, which examines the policy measures that support the transition away from cages, earning 16 points. However, Taiwan was outperformed by neighboring South Korea – which was awarded 22 points in this section – highlighting the need for stronger policy measures.

The third pillar is Welfare Standards, which evaluates welfare standards for hens in cage-free systems. While Taiwan was an early mover when it first published its laying hen welfare guidelines in 2014, it has failed to maintain its leadership position. Taiwan has since been surpassed by Indonesia and the Philippines, which have both enacted more stringent standards.

Globally, three quarters of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, and over 36% of these are associated with animals kept for food production. Meanwhile, animal farming is responsible for an estimated 70% of the world's antibiotics, making it a key driver of antimicrobial resistance. The United Nations has joined other multinational organizations in recognizing that global action on animal health is central to preventing future international public health emergencies.

Hundreds of global companies have pledged to end their use of cage eggs in Asia, including multinationals like Nestlé, Unilever, Burger King, KFC, and Marriott, as well as homegrown Asian companies like Minor International and Jollibee Foods Corporation – the largest and fastest-growing Asian restaurant company in the world. At the same time, investor groups representing tens of trillions of dollars in assets under management have also begun to scrutinize the performance of Asian companies on farmed animal welfare in order to assess investment risk.

At the press conference, legislators representing Taiwan’s three largest political parties expressed their support for the transition to animal-friendly farming, pledging to advance the issue in the newly-elected legislature. The legislators included members of the Economics Committee and Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee – key committees in the new legislature.

Legislator Lin Shu-Fen (DPP) said that improving the treatment of hens is essential for a safe and stable egg supply and pledged to fully support for a transition to animal-friendly farming in the legislature. “The government cannot expect the industry to transition on its own. The government must introduce policies to guide the transition,” she added.

Legislator Chang Chi-kai (TPP) urged authorities to devise a transition plan to put the sector on a stable and sustainable footing.

Legislator Wang Yu-Min (KMT) stated that she would push for cage-free eggs to be used in school lunches, gifting the next generation safer food and the opportunity to learn about how food is produced.

Legislator Chen Gau-tzu (TPP) condemned the vicious cycle of Taiwan’s egg industry – hens raised in crammed cages, resulting in weakened immune systems and increased use of antibiotics – and called on the authorities to devise comprehensive, step-by-step measures to promote industry revitalization.

The legislators lit lanterns to symbolize a brighter future for hens in the lead up to the Lantern Festival.

View the full Asia Cage-Free Benchmark Report in English and Chinese.

Media contact

Fang Chu Chune, Director of Campaigns and Communications
Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST)
Mobile: +886 (9) 2317 7193
Phone: +886 (2) 2236 9735