Free-range, organic, conventional and enriched eggs: g1 explains the differences Most supermarkets have not made any progress in the transition to exclusively selling eggs from hens raised outside of cages, according to the Observatório do Ovo study, carried out annually by the NGO Alianima. Since 2015, large companies in the food and hospitality sectors have started to announce public commitments to replace eggs from chickens raised in cages with free systems, known as "cage-free". (learn more below) ?? Do you have any suggestions for a report? Send it to g1 Currently, more than 160 Brazilian companies have already made this commitment. The companies themselves set deadlines to meet the goals, which range from 2021 to 2030. But, according to the survey, 64% of chains did not increase the percentage of cage-free egg brands or even showed setbacks. Furthermore, 24% of companies that set the target do not report progress. Carrefour is one of the chains mentioned in the report. The company made a public commitment to the transition, but, last year, it reduced the share of free eggs in its supermarkets, from 21.4% to 20.2%. The chain was also identified as the only one among those that made a commitment not to offer at least one brand of free eggs in all stores. Another example is Pague Menos, which showed no progress. g1 contacted both companies, but did not receive a response until the last update of this report. READ ALSO Free-range, organic, cage-free eggs: know how to differentiate the types (spoiler: it's not because of the color of the shell) What has made the transition difficult? For the survey, Alianima listened to supermarket chains, which highlighted the main challenges of the transition: the North and Northeast regions were classified as the most difficult to supply free-range eggs; 67% of companies reported the high cost of the product as an obstacle; 44% pointed out consumers' lack of knowledge on the subject; 33% said they had low customer acceptance of the product. However, 78% said that the transition causes a positive perception of the brand; 22% said there was a lack of support from associations. Meanwhile, 33% of companies said they did not encounter any difficulties in the transition. Find out more: Get to know a large company with a "cage free" system What's the difference with 'cage free'? Cage free: system allows chickens to be raised freely in the shed. In many farming systems, the chicken is confined in cages as soon as it begins to lay. Up to 11 animals share the same space, without being able to scratch, just eating and laying eggs. In the "cage free" system, this does not happen and the bird remains free throughout production. The Certified Humane Brasil Institute establishes standards for breeding with a focus on animal welfare and grants certification to companies that follow these standards. For example, the rules state that aviary space can contain a maximum of 7 to 11 birds per square meter. In addition, each bird needs a space of 5 cm at feeders and 15 cm at perches. It is also necessary to leave water and food available for the animals. Types of eggs are defined by the creation of chickens Art/G1 Also know: Why shouldn't meat become cheaper even with the reduction in exports to China? From coffee to rice: El Niño threatens production and could raise food prices