WOONSOCKET RI. – In its recently published Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, CVS Health Corp. announced it has stepped up its goal to transition to selling 100% cage-free eggs. In 2015 the company announced it would make the transition by 2025, but as of April 1, it said the goal would be achieved by the end of 2022 at its 9,900 pharmacy-based stores.

“In the last couple of years, as the supply chain and offering of these eggs has increased and consumer choice has evolved, we made the decision to accelerate that goal,” the company said.

The decision to make the transition early was lauded by the animal rights organization, The Humane League, which CVS consulted with and helped the company establish standards for its corporate animal welfare policies. The organization lauded the company’s efforts and encouraged other retailers, including CVS competitor, Walgreens, to follow suit. Currently, Walgreens has committed to going to cage-free eggs by 2025.

“We applaud CVS for recognizing that they could switch to cage-free eggs much quicker than anticipated and taking that significant step to reduce the suffering of egg-laying hens as soon as possible,” said Vicky Bond, president of the Humane League. Socially responsible companies like CVS will no longer source egg hens kept in cruel battery cages, and we hope that Walgreens will follow their lead and do the same.”