TRIESTE, Italy – Iconic global coffee company illy won praise today from the Lever Foundation for its updated commitment to source only cage-free eggs and egg ingredients globally by 2025. The Italy-based brand, which specializes in espresso, sells products in over 140 countries and operates a network of several hundred cafe locations across Europe, Asia and North America.
“As of 2021, all directly managed illy stores use cage-free eggs only, and illycaffè has placed the same obligation concerning all products available from the illy purchasing platform also on illy franchisees,” the company noted in an updated statement posted on its website today. “In 2022, illycaffè has extended this obligation to its entire global franchising network, requiring its franchisees to commit to using cage-free eggs only for all food products by 2025.”
In 2019 illy became the first Italian coffee company to obtain B Corp certification, a recognition for companies operating under the highest and strictest social and environmental standards.
“We applaud illy’s commitment on this important issue, which will improve the welfare of animals in its global supply chain and will also benefit the company’s international customers,” said Kirsty Tuxford, Corporate Engagement Manager at Lever Foundation, which worked with illy on its commitment. “Nearly all of the largest café and coffee chains based in North America and Europe have now committed to using only cage-free egg ingredients in all stores globally.”
Over the past two years coffee chains including Dunkin Donuts, Costa Coffee, Tim Hortons, Caribou Coffee, Krispy Kreme, Au Bon Pain and Peet’s have set timelines for removing caged eggs from their worldwide supply chains, with top-ten coffee brand Caffe Nero issuing a similar pledge last week. Restaurant chains such as KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Baskin Robbins, Tim Hortons, Sonic, Popeye’s, Papa John’s and Arby’s have made similar pledges.
