“We are proud to engage our global franchise community on our commitment to selling cage-free eggs in our stores and grateful for the support of Lever Foundation in our efforts.”
– Helena Winberg, Director of Global Sustainability for Couche-Tard.

It’s 7:45 am, you’re late for work and you haven’t had breakfast yet. You storm into your local convenience store, and grab a sandwich to eat on your way to the office. While you’re in there, you also get some veggies and an egg carton to make a quick dinner later. Sounds familiar? Convenience stores are an integral part of our daily lives, providing us with quick and easy access to food, drinks, and other essentials. Yet, we rarely stop and think about where that food comes from or how it’s produced.

Take eggs, for instance: the average convenience store sells shell eggs as well as food prepared with egg ingredients – most of which are sourced from factory farms. With such a demand for eggs, it’s clear that any action taken by the sector to make its supply chain more sustainable and humane for animals can have a ripple effect and a huge impact. 

Couche-Tard’s Global Pledge

For this reason, Alimentation Couche-Tard’s recent commitment to sourcing only cage-free shell eggs globally is a massive step forward for egg-laying hens and sets an important precedent for the industry. The convenience store chain operates over 14,000 stores across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with over 2,000 managed by franchisees that source eggs in their regions, mostly under the Circle K brand. Back in 2019, Couche-Tard announced a cage-free policy for its corporate stores – which however didn’t cover licensed stores. 

With Lever’s help, the company expanded its commitment to cover all stores globally, including all franchised and licensed locations. Additionally, Lever has provided expert advice, materials and resources to facilitate the shift and is assisting Couche-Tard in connecting franchisees to those suppliers.

This significant achievement in supporting Couche-Tard’s shift paves the way for future engagement with other chains to prioritize animal welfare in their supply chains.

 

This work happened because of the support of people like you. Please consider donating today to build a more humane and sustainable protein supply in Asia.