For years, animal agriculture has watched supermarkets and restaurants get bullied by activist groups into making pledges to buy only cage-free eggs or pork housed in open pens. Many of these retail companies have figured out they’ve been sold a bill of goods.

That’s the admission from a new report released by the animal rights group World Animal Protection (WAP).

The report examines 56 food companies’ commitments to source pork from suppliers that only use group housing. Many of these commitments were made between 2012 and 2016, with varying timelines for implementation, but often 2022. But according to the report, of the 56 companies who made promises to eliminate the pens, only two have actually implemented it. And those two — Chipotle and Whole Foods — did it nearly 20 years ago as part of their corporate DNA. WAP’s report lists Burger King, Aramark and others as having moved their compliance date.

A Humane Society of the United States food industry scorecard from earlier this year tells a similar story. The survey of 100 companies finds that many have quietly retreated on their pledges, even apparently removing the commitments altogether.

Even with a huge curve on its grading, the vast majority of companies earned an “F” from HSUS for scoring 0% (or lower). Even Starbucks got an “F.” Among many examples, HSUS found that Chick-fil-A appeared to have removed a cage-free egg pledge, and Ahold and Delhaize appear to have removed their pork pledges after they merged.

The economics of huge industry-wide conversions of standard practices couldn’t be ignored. Based on my conversations with producers over the years, everyone knew this was coming. It was apparent 10 years ago that these retailers had no idea if they could source enough to comply. The activists probably knew as well that pledges for future compliance could easily be reversed. With companies focused on short-term financial performance, this dynamic of “make a future pledge and get the annoying activists to go away” was always going to be a cost-free quick fix. Yet it seemed OK for everyone to lie to each other and declare some kind of “moral victory.”

This will be a continuing issue for the near future. According to an online tracker, more than 225 food companies and grocers have promised to go “cage-free.” Most (over)promised to transition by 2025. It’s another example of the joke where someone in 2012 was writing checks that someone else in 2025 was going to have to cash.

According to egg industry calculations, there won’t be a supply of cage-free eggs to meet this demand. Recent estimates from the United Egg Producers figure egg producers will have to shell out between around $10 billion to eliminate existing hen housing. In regards to pork individual maternity pens, experts estimate open pens could cost more than $6 billion.

There are good animal welfare arguments to be made as well. A three-year study performed by the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply found cage-free systems had higher mortality rates. And veterinarians support the use of individual maternity pens (my preferred term for gestation stalls).

The activists have bitten off more than they can chew, and will compound this by putting pressure on companies to keep unrealistic pledges. That’s an opportunity for all across animal agriculture to redouble our engagement with its customers. These companies are now paying closer attention to unnecessary costs, especially in this day and age. And there was never any solid evidence that most consumers really cared about how an egg or piece of bacon was produced. Especially when they compared the price hikes that come with these phony “humane” demands.

In fact, we have watched these threatened consumer boycotts fall flat whenever a company ignores the threat or demand to have their supply chain disrupted. It’s a great lesson learned. And as the often quoted philosopher George Santayana observed, “Those who cannot remember history are forced to repeat it.” It’s a history not worth repeating.

Food companies mugged by reality on activist pledges

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