Egg Farmers of Canada statement on egg production

In Canada, there are more than 1,000 family egg farms in all parts of the country who supply fresh, local, high-quality eggs each and every day. These farmers respond to consumer demand and preference by offering a choice of eggs at the grocery store, including classic white and brown eggs, and specialty eggs such as Omega-3, organic, free run and free range—all from Canadian farms.

Research shows that the systems used to produce eggs all have trade-offs across a host of sustainability factors including: animal health and well-being, environment, food safety, worker health and safety and food affordability.

Egg Farmers of Canada is committed to research on these systems and on consumer preferences, and to ensuring evidence-based decision-making when it comes to industry practices. This ensures choice and price stability to shoppers while protecting the entire supply chain from shortages or the production of eggs for which there are no market.

Recently, Egg Farmers of Canada announced a systematic, market-oriented transition from conventional egg production toward other methods of producing eggs. We look forward to working with retailers to ensure high quality Canadian eggs remain on grocery shelves everywhere and we will continue to work with our supply chain to do so and to align our approaches as much as possible.

Our industry transition considers the growing body of scientific evidence pointing to the benefits of enriched housing, which allows hens to exhibit specific behaviours which may include perching, scratching, foraging, dust bathing and nesting. The industry looks forward to discussing these important aspects, and the broader transition plan, with its supply chain and stakeholders as this process unfolds.

We are long-time supporters and participants of the National Farm Animal Care Council and have brought this industry plan forward to their current multi-stakeholder review of the Code of Practices for the egg industry. We are committed to helping all stakeholders understand our transition. We believe a Code that takes into account what the egg industry analysed, developed and proposed to be realistic will be stronger, and a tremendous framework on which to make many other enhancements to our industry for years to come.

---