In a boost to animal welfare activists looking to get livestock out of cramped cages, Burger King will be the first major U.S. fast-food
air jordan pas cher chain to give all of its chickens and pigs some room to roam.
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On Wednesday, the world's second-biggest burger chain pledged that all of its eggs and pork will come from cage-free chickens and pigs by 2017, hoping to satisfy rising consumer demand for humanely produced fare and increase its sales in the process.
Other companies have made similar but less broad announcements this year, part of an industrywide shift to consider animal welfare when buying food supplies.
"Even if you're buying a
nike air max burger, you want to buy it from someone you like and respect," said food industry analyst Phil Lempert, who writes a daily industry newsletter. "It's proven that consumers are willing to pay a little bit more for fairness, whether it's to humans or animals."
Conventionally raised eggs come from hens confined in "battery cages,"
nike air max pas cher which give them roughly the same space as a sheet of standard notebook paper. Most pork comes from sows confined during their four-month pregnancies in narrow crates.
The hens would still
nike pas cher be housed in a barn, but they have room to move and perches and nesting boxes. Sows are also held indoors, but they would not be confined in the cramped crates while they are pregnant.
Egg and pork producers have argued that easing confinement standards for animals raises
nike air max production costs and makes those who adjust their practices less competitive.
Animal welfare groups applauded Burger King's decision.
"So many tens of thousands of animals will now be in better living conditions," said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of
nike air max chaussures the United States, which has been pushing Burger King and other companies to adopt similar policies. "Numerically, this is significant because Burger King is such a big purchaser of these products."
*Edited at 12:01am, 04/26/12
