AOL Hits “Delete” on Battery Cages |
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April 17, 2006
With more than 20 million Americans using an AOL account—and with the popularity of AOL's web properties (AOL Instant Messenger, Moviefone, Mapquest, and Netscape), chances are that you or someone you know uses AOL. Those users may be surprised to hear how AOL and The HSUS are working together to put their daily computing—e-mails, searches, and blogging—to work helping animals.
AOL is now providing more than just online services to millions of Americans—it's providing improved conditions for thousands of American egg-laying hens. Working with its food service vendor, Sodexho USA, AOL has discontinued the use of eggs from birds confined in battery cages in all of its corporate dining facilities servicing the company's 5,000 employees in Northern Virginia. Over the coming months, AOL will make the transition to cage-free eggs in its other facilities around the country as well. The HSUS praises AOL's policy as an important success in the growing trend to end one of the most abusive, yet customary, factory farming practices.
AOL currently uses nearly a half-million eggs per year. As a result of the company's decision, nearly 2,000 laying hens will no longer be confined in restrictive battery cages.
"AOL's concern for social responsibility, including animal welfare, led us to distance ourselves from battery cage eggs and switch to exclusively cage-free eggs in our dining facilities," said Alan Nielsen, AOL's Vice President of Corporate Services. "By making a simple purchasing switch, AOL is helping improve the lives of millions of egg-laying birds."
Dulles, Virginia-based AOL joins several grocery chains such as Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, Earth Fare, and Jimbo's...Naturally in eliminating its use of battery cage eggs. And Trader Joe's recently converted all of its brand eggs to cage-free. Food service provider Bon Appétit is also phasing in cage-free eggs for all of its 400 cafés nationwide, including major corporate clients such as Intel, Cisco Systems, Adidas, Chevron, and Nordstrom.
To date, more than 85 schools—including Dartmouth College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Connecticut, University of Iowa, Tufts University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgetown University, and American University—have enacted policies to eliminate or greatly decrease their use of eggs from caged hens.
"The nation's leading Internet provider has also become a leader in animal welfare by ending its use of eggs from battery-caged birds," said Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The HSUS. "We applaud AOL's efforts to reduce animal suffering, and we encourage other corporations to follow its positive example."
A behind-the-scenes hero in this story is Lori Prantil, Manager of Food Services for AOL. An animal advocate, Lori volunteers with United Animal Nations' Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS), which provides emergency sheltering and relief to animal victims of disasters. Lori has used her personal vacation time to care for animals at EARS shelters after Hurricane Charley in Florida (2004) and Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana (2005).
After reading about UAN's rescue of nearly 400 "spent" hens from a California battery egg farm in August 2005, Lori realized she had an opportunity to alleviate animal suffering—without even leaving her desk at AOL's headquarters in Dulles. She contacted The HSUS to find out more about enacting a cage-free egg policy.
"At AOL we have been working toward more sustainable food purchasing for some time, and transitioning to cage-free eggs was an obvious step to take," said Lori. "It is really rewarding to realize how those of us who care about animals can help when we bring our compassion to work with us."
See the Video
Battery-Cage Eggs
Related Links
The HSUS's Campaign to Ban Battery Cages
Bon Appetit Puts the Chicken Before the Egg
Campaign Victory: Trader Joe's Goes Cage-Free with Its Brand Eggs
Wild Oats and Whole Foods Sow Compassion with Cage-Free Egg Policies
Battery-Cage Eggs
