Sweden becomes the first country in the world to ensure all egg-laying chickens are cage-free — without any laws requiring it

Sweden becomes the first country in the world to ensure all egg-laying chickens are cage-free — without any laws requiring it

Sweden becomes the first country in the world to ensure all egg-laying chickens are cage-free — without any laws requiring it On June 17, Sweden celebrated a historic milestone.  “After decades of determined work, there are no longer any hens kept in cages in Sweden,” Project 1882, a global animal justice league, said in a press statement. “Sweden is also the only country in the world that has become cage-free without a legal ban.”  That’s not to say that Sweden doesn’t have humane farming legislation. Compared to European Union law, Sweden does have stricter legislation when it comes to how many chickens farmers can raise per plot of land.  Specifically, EU law mandates that farmers can have 42kg/m2 (roughly 46 chickens per 10 square feet) the Swedish law says they can only have 36kg/m2 (39 of chickens per 10 square feet).  Chickens are also protected under Sweden’s Animal Welfare Act, which specifies that animals used for farming “shall be housed and provided with food, water and care…ap…