As a long-time North Carolinian and Ingles loyalty member, I have to say I am quite disappointed with Ingles' lack of follow through on their commitment to ensuring the animals in their supply chains are treated as humanely as possible. In 2016, Ingles published a cage-free policy, but has yet to report any action in seeing this through. The policy reads "Under the company's new plan, Ingles' goal is to have 100% of both the shell and liquid eggs it sells come from cage-free hens by 2025."

That is a wonderful goal, but I wonder what Ingles is doing to make this happen. Where is the transparency and progress reporting? Adopting a cage-free policy is important for the welfare of laying egg hens, the most abused land animal in our food system. Many people may not be aware, but these cages are often only a few feet wide and 15 inches tall. The birds inside will never be able to fully spread their wings without hitting the cage or another chicken. The enclosed spaces often lead to broken bones and the ability for diseases to be easily spread.

Many companies have successfully transitioned their supply chains to be 100% cage-free, and not only made the commitment to do so, but followed through.

Ingles claims to be passionate about welfare; yet their inaction and denying any reporting to concerned shareholders makes me believe these words are nothing but an empty promise. I encourage Ingles to follow through with the cage-free policy and begin showing their customers the steps they plan on taking to guarantee that animal welfare is a top priority for them. Consider this next time you need groceries, and please sign my petition calling on Ingles to report their progress transparently to customers, so we know whether they're on track to achieve their goal by 2025. 

Photo courtesy of Jo-Anne McArthur of WeAnimals Media