Building cage-free supply across markets

Sodexo operates in markets where cage-free supply is still being established. Markets representing 12% of our revenue have extended cage-free transition roadmaps to 2030 or 2035, reflecting barriers such as limited supply availability, market maturity, client awareness and external disruption. Those roadmaps carry published interim milestones: in India, 10% by 2028, 30% by 2030, 60% by 2032 and 100% by 2035. We report our progress in these markets, including Colombia’s increase from 1.6% in FY24 to 11.4% in FY25 and Hong Kong SAR reaching 100% cage-free shell eggs at the estimated December 2025 snapshot.*

Why some markets are harder

The pace and path of the transition are shaped by supplier infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, market maturity and external disruption, most significantly avian influenza. Recurrent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza through FY25 led to the culling of tens of millions of birds globally and maintained structural pressure on availability, pricing and the transition to higher welfare systems. The United States lost more than 30 million laying hens during 2025, Europe saw hundreds of outbreaks across multiple countries through the 2024 to 2025 period, Brazil reported its first outbreak in a commercial poultry farm in 2025, and Asia remains a structural hotspot.

Geographic footprint and sourcing volumes matter when interpreting aggregate cage-free percentages. We have a substantial presence in markets where cage-free supply remains limited, so delivering our commitments means not only changing what we buy but helping producers build the capacity, infrastructure and certification needed to expand physical supply. Differences in the markets included in a company’s reporting can affect comparisons, so country-level figures and reporting scope should be considered alongside any overall percentage. We publish market-level progress to provide that context.

  • Building cage-free supply in India

    In Solapur, western India, we have supported the development of Nature Life, a women-led cage-free egg farming initiative, in partnership with Sulabh International. We provided funding, technical expertise and support for farm infrastructure, farmer training and the certification process, while Sulabh contributed its community network and management support. The initiative has grown from 30 to 50 farmers, combining improved animal welfare with opportunities for sustainable rural livelihoods. The farm achieved Certified Humane® certification in August 2026. We are scaling our sourcing towards the farm’s full production capacity of 60,000 eggs per month, for use at our sites in western India. Alongside our own supplier development initiatives, we are engaging through the Global Coalition for Animal Welfare (GCAW) and with Global Food Partners (GFP) to help accelerate the development of cage-free egg supply in India. Bringing buyers and producers together can improve visibility of future demand, identify supply constraints and give producers greater confidence to invest in capacity, infrastructure and certification. Our priority remains increasing physical cage-free sourcing and supporting lasting market transformation. Our cage-free penetration in India was 2.6% in FY25, against 2.9% in FY24 and 0.4% in FY23. Our published roadmap sets 10% by 2028, 30% by 2030, 60% by 2032 and 100% by 2035. Business growth and limited product availability remain challenges to increasing the overall sourcing percentage while physical supply is still being built.

  • Building cage-free supply in Brazil

    Supplier development has moved this market quickly. Our cage-free shell eggs reached 67.5% in FY25, against 43% in 2023, and an estimated 94.8% at December 2025, with liquid eggs at 100% in the same snapshot. The gain has come from working with local producers to bring cage-free volumes into regional distribution.

  • Building cage-free supply in Colombia

    Following a 2024 initiative to promote cage-free eggs and raise client awareness, our cage-free penetration in Colombia increased from 1.6% in FY24 to 11.4% in FY25. We continue to use client engagement and supplier development to support the transition where supply is constrained.

  • Building cage-free supply in Asia Pacific

    Hong Kong SAR reached 100% cage-free shell eggs at the estimated December 2025 snapshot, on the back of supplier readiness and sustained client engagement, and Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia delivered steady year-on-year gains.

Frequently asked questions