June 1, 2005 – Chickens Run Free at Capers

 

 

The Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) congratulates Capers for being the first grocery chain to commit exclusively to cage-free eggs.

VANCOUVER (June 1, 2005) Wild Oats Markets, Inc., the parent company of Capers Community Markets in Vancouver, just announced it will only source products containing cage-free eggs for its 75 stores across North America. The decision comes as an effort to combat intensive confinement in animal agribusiness, something the store has always had a commitment to.

“Capers Community Markets has been a leader in this city in the effort to raise the welfare of egg laying hens,” says Bruce Passmore, the Farm Animal Welfare Project Coordinator at the VHS. “We congratulate Wild Oats and Capers for taking this progressive step.”

In 2003 and 2004, Capers Community Markets received the VHS’s Compassionate Grocer of the Year awards for stocking the highest percentage of cage-free eggs of any grocery store in Vancouver. At that time, only their table eggs were cage-free. Now, all products will be.

Approximately 98 percent of eggs in Canada come from birds confined to battery cages. These cages provide around 450cm 2 space per bird, barely enough space to move, let alone flap their wings, dust bathe or perform any other natural behaviours. They are confined to these cages 24 hours a day, seven days a week for one to two years, after which time they are sent to slaughter. Wild Oats and Capers have chosen to move away from this system in favour of more humane alternatives such as certified organic, which has the highest welfare standards of any commercially available egg.

“We hope other stores will soon follow and choose cage-free alternatives as well,” said Passmore.