College of the Atlantic Launches a Cage-Free Egg Policy

WASHINGTON —Today, the nation's largest animal protection organization announced that Bar Harbor-based College of the Atlantic (COA) will be switching to the exclusive use of cage-free eggs in its student dining facility, a move that The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) praised as an important step for animal welfare.

COA has chosen to completely eliminate the use of eggs from caged birds from its dining facilities, effective April 12, 2006. The college uses approximately 43,200 eggs each year.

Kenneth Sebelin, Food Service Director for COA, stated, "By switching to cage-free eggs in our dining facilities, we are taking a big step towards bringing our kitchen's purchasing policies in line with our commitment to social responsibility."

COA joins the more than 85 schools that have enacted policies to eliminate or greatly reduce the use of eggs from caged hens, including University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, Princeton University, Tufts University, University of Connecticut, University of Rochester and American University.

"College of the Atlantic has taken a positive step for animal welfare by ending its use of eggs from caged birds," commented Paul Shapiro, Factory Farming Campaign director for The HSUS. "We applaud COA's efforts to reduce animal suffering, and we encourage other schools to follow its example."

Several major grocery chains have also implemented similar policies. Companies such as Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace have eliminated their sales of battery cage eggs, and Trader Joe's has converted all of its brand eggs to cage-free. Food service provider Bon Appétit has also begun phasing in the exclusive use of cage-free eggs for all of its 400 cafés.

In the United States, approximately 95 percent of eggs sold come from hens confined in barren "battery cages," wire enclosures so small the birds can't even spread their wings or engage in such natural behaviors as nesting, foraging, perching and dust bathing. The cages are stacked one on top of another inside huge warehouses on factory farms. Each bird is afforded less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live, leading to extremely high levels of stress and frustration.

Located between the Atlantic Ocean and Acadia National Park, College of the Atlantic is distinctive in size, mission, and structure. At COA all students take a degree in human ecology. This encourages an interdisciplinary approach to all courses and a focus that emphasizes the inter-relationships between people and their environments. At 300 students, COA's dynamic combination of academic rigor, small classes, intense mentoring and personal commitment offers a unique lens for students to integrate and apply their study of humanities, sciences and the arts.

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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than 9.5 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammals, animals in research, equine protection and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy and field work. The nonprofit organization is based in Washington and has field representatives and offices across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.