Another Portland Cafe Hatches a Cage-Free Egg Policy

Marco's Café and Espresso Bar has joined a growing Oregon movement toward improving the lives of farm animals by enacting an exclusively cage-free egg policy. The move drew applause from The Humane Society of the United States.

In addition to not using eggs from hens confined in battery cages, Marco's has made sweeping changes to its menu that demonstrate its commitment to being socially responsible.

Marco's chef Maurice Lynn stated, "As a socially conscious company, Marco's is delighted with our exclusively cage-free egg policy and is proud to feature delicious vegetarian menu options. These choices further our commitment to sustainability—and improve the lives of animals."

"Marco's is right to join the growing number of Oregon businesses moving away from using products from animals crammed into tiny cages on factory farms," said Scott Beckstead, Oregon state director of The HSUS. "Not only has Marco's been a popular Portland landmark for more than 25 years, they've also taken a bold stand against animal cruelty by helping to reduce the suffering of farm animals."

In Oregon, companies such as Burgerville, JoPa, Nike, Great Harvest Bread Company, Quimby's and Cup and Saucer Café no longer use eggs from caged hens. And Oregon schools such as Lewis & Clark College, Reed College and Willamette University join nearly 350 others in using cage-free eggs.

Facts

• U.S. factory farms confine approximately 280 million hens in barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can't even spread their wings. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live for more than a year before she's slaughtered.
• While cage-free does not mean cruelty-free, cage-free hens generally have 250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in more of their natural behaviors than are caged hens. Cage-free hens may not be able to go outside and may have parts of their beaks cut off, but they are able to walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests—all behaviors permanently denied to hens confined in battery cages.
• Each year, U.S. factory farms raise and kill more than nine billion farm animals. These massive operations pollute our environment, and raising animals for food contributes to global warming at least as much as automobiles, according to the United Nations.

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