Jakarta – Asia’s food sector is approaching a critical juncture as companies near the final deadlines of their 2025 cage-free commitments. New findings show that while engagement is growing, progress remains slow and transparency gaps persist, raising concerns over whether companies can meet timelines that affect both animal welfare and global supply chains.
The findings are detailed in Sinergia Animal’s 2025 Asia Cage-Free Tracker, which evaluates 95 food companies operating across India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand. These five markets form the core of Asia’s egg economy and play a decisive role in global access to cage-free ingredients.
The Tracker shows that 70.5% of companies now disclose some level of progress toward cage-free sourcing, a marginal increase from 69.8% in 2024. However, 29.5% continue to provide no public reporting, and only 14.7% of companies have fully implemented or are on track to meet their commitments by the end of 2025, despite many having pledged transitions years ago.
Asia’s central position in the global egg supply chain makes the slow pace especially significant. The region produces the majority of the world’s commercial eggs.
– Thailand supplies major export markets for eggs and processed ingredients.
– Indonesia and Malaysia shape domestic and regional supply stability.
– India is expanding its presence in egg powder and processed egg ingredients used worldwide.
– Japan, one of the world’s highest per-capita egg consumers, relies heavily on imports for key ingredients.
Despite these dynamics, battery cages remain the dominant production system. Hens are confined to spaces smaller than an A4 sheet of paper and are unable to perform natural behaviours such as nesting, perching, and dust bathing. These systems have been banned or phased out in the European Union, Canada, and New Zealand, yet remain widespread across Asia due to slow implementation and reporting gaps.
The 2025 Tracker ranks companies across nine tiers, identifying both leaders and laggards in the transition. Companies such as Aman Resorts, Capella Hotel Group, Illy Caffè, Lotus Bakeries, Shake Shack, Starbucks, Pizza Marzano, and The Cheesecake Factory have completed cage-free transitions across their Asian operations. Another group, including Bali Buda, Groupe Holder, Groupe Savencia, IKEA, Pizza Express, and ViaVia Restaurant, has confirmed that they will complete transitions by the end of 2025.
However, 33 companies report only global-level progress with no Asia-specific data, making verification difficult, while 28 companies publish no reporting at all.
Country-level findings highlight further unevenness:
– Indonesia has the highest participation (57 companies) but inconsistent implementation.
– India has strong reporting (78.6%) but varied follow-through.
– Japan has the lowest transparency rate (70.9%) of the reviewed markets.
– Thailand shows solid engagement but limited advanced implementation.
– Malaysia continues to see rising participation but limited Asia-specific disclosure.
“We’re seeing movement, but not at the pace required,” said Nurkhayati Darunifah, Corporate Accountability Lead – Asia and author of the report. “Companies that delay or withhold updates risk falling behind as expectations for transparency and responsible sourcing continue to rise.”
“As 2025 deadlines approach, companies across Asia face a moment of decision,” said Saneekan Rosamontri,Managing Director of Sinergia Animal Thailand. “Cage-free commitments are no longer about intention, they are about delivery. Transparent reporting and timely action will determine whether Asia accelerates progress or becomes a bottleneck in the global transition toward higher animal welfare standards.”
Sinergia Animal will continue to monitor company progress, engage with businesses across the region, and advocate for improved standards aligned with global expectations for responsible and sustainable food systems.
About Sinergia Animal
Sinergia Animal is an international animal protection organization that works in the Global South to reduce the suffering of animals raised for food and promote more compassionate food options. It is recognized as one of the most effective NGOs in the world by the Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE).
About the 2025 Asia Cage-Free Tracker
The Asia Cage-Free Tracker is an annual assessment published every year by Sinergia Animal to monitor corporate progress on cage-free egg sourcing across major Asian markets. The 2025 edition evaluates 95 food companies operating in India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand, representing key sectors such as restaurants, cafés, hospitality, manufacturing, food service, travel & tourism, and retail.
Sinergia Animal also publishes an annual Latin America Cage-Free Tracker, which monitors corporate progress across key markets in the region.
Together, the Asia and Latin America Tracker provides a comprehensive view of cage-free commitments, offering insight into global supply-chain readiness, transparency trends, and regional differences in adoption.
Key 2025 Findings
- 70.5% of evaluated companies published some level of cage-free progress, up from 69.8% in 2024.
- 29.5% of companies provided no public reporting, representing a major transparency gap.
- Only 14.7% (14 companies) achieved full cage-free implementation or remain on track to meet 2025 deadlines.
- 33 companies disclosed only global-level commitments, without Asia-specific implementation data.
- 28 companies provided no public updates at all.
- Sector participation includes 37 restaurants/cafés/bakeries, 28 hotels, 15 manufacturers, 6 food-service providers, 5 travel/tourism companies, and 4 retailers.
Country-Level Highlights
- Indonesia: Highest participation (57 companies), uneven implementation.
- India: Strong reporting (78.6%) with varied follow-through.
- Japan: Lowest transparency rate (70.9%) among studied markets.
- Thailand: High engagement, limited advanced implementation.
More information
Website: https://www.sinergiaanimalthailand.org/
Media contact
Valaiporn Chalermlapvoraboon
Communications – Thailand
Email: vchalermlapvoraboon@sinergiaanimal.org
.
