McDonald’s Corp., the world’s largest restaurant chain, will require its pork suppliers to get rid of gestation pens that animal-rights groups have long deemed cruel to pigs.
The statement, released yesterday in coordination with the Humane Society of the U.S., said the company will require its suppliers to submit plans by May to phase out the tiny metal cages.
McDonald’s is “one of the largest purchasers of pork — bacon and sausage, in particular,” so their pressure will create positive changes across the industry.
The move comes on the heels of the release during the Grammys of the animated video from Chipotle depicting the life of a pig farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. Both the film and the soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle, a restaurant known for its use of natural ingredients, to emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system.
Proceeds from the film’s song on iTunes, performed by country music legend Willie Nelson, is helping to benefit The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.
(READ the story from Bloomberg and WATCH the Chipotle video below)