When I close my eyes I am transported to her world; a world where the all too bright lights are never dimmed, where her cage mates are taken out of crammed cages to be debeaked and mutilated, where the stench of ammonia is so overpowering she can’t even open her eyes at times, where the noise around her never ceases. I can’t even fathom being in it for a few minutes, let alone the lifetime that she, a caged hen is doomed to live in, until death releases her from this cycle of birth and suffering.
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It is then that I know, deep down within me, that if I was her, all I would want is for this suffering to stop right now, for someone to make it go away, to never have been born in the first place into a world so cold and unfair to nonhumans. It is for her and millions of other caged hens, that I set out as a formidable ally to increase the momentum in this journey of cage free eggs.
Asia is the largest egg producing region globally, the source of over 64% of egg supply. For me, it was disappointing that among the Asian countries included in the Cage Free Tracker Report last year, Malaysia recorded the lowest number of cage free commitments with only around 46 companies evaluated and only 17 reporting. Nonetheless, this distressing record needs to be changed by holding companies accountable on their cage free commitments which are maturing next year.
Empty promises won’t empty cages and the only victims are the nonhuman species who are oppressed by our speciesist stance viewing them as mere commodities, instead of the sentient beings that they are with a right to their own lives. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step. This reminder by the Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu offers us wisdom and strength in the face of a daunting yet rewarding journey. A journey that culminates in animal liberation and begins with animal welfare, here and now.
