Global Progress, Local Neglect—Why India Is Being Left Behind

Across Europe and North America, companies are making real progress toward a cage-free future. They’re investing in better supply chains, working with farmers, and phasing out battery cages. These changes reflect growing consumer awareness and public pressure for humane sourcing. In many ways, the global cage-free movement is becoming mainstream.

But in India—and across the Global South—the story is very different.

Instead of meeting their cage-free goals, some multinational companies are delaying reporting progress and even backtracking. Take Sodexo, for example. Despite committing to go cage-free globally by 2025, the company recently pushed its deadline by ten years in India and several other Global South markets. That means hens in India will be kept in cruel battery cages until 2035—another decade of unnecessary suffering for animals that would already be cage-free in Europe.

This double standard is unacceptable. Companies cannot claim to be ethical leaders while treating Indian consumers and animals as second-class. Humane food systems should not be limited by geography or income. India has millions of consumers who care about animal welfare—and they deserve honesty, not delay.

The world is watching. With December 2025 around the corner, we must hold these companies accountable and demand that they treat all markets equally. India is not a dumping ground for outdated, cruel practices—and we won’t stand by while companies delay change where they think they can get away with it.