With operations in twelve countries worldwide, British retail giant Tesco is not only the UK’s largest supermarket chain but also the world’s ninth largest in terms of revenue. The almost 7000 Tesco stores across the map stretch from Eastern Europe to Southeast Asia, where the company’s brand Lotus operates over 2000 stores in Thailand and Malaysia.

While Tesco had a corporate commitment to stop selling eggs from caged hens in the UK by 2025, it lacked a similar pledge for its Asian stores. Lever pressured the company to expand its policy, and after several complex negotiations, Tesco committed to sourcing only cage-free eggs for its Malaysian and Thai supermarkets by 2028. Additionally, Tesco committed to sourcing all packaged pork from sows not confined in gestation crates by 2027.

“At Tesco Lotus, we strive to offer high quality, healthy, and sustainable products at affordable prices to our customers. To deliver this ambition, we have set out a clear policy for sustainable sourcing which includes treating animals in our supply chain humanely at all life stages. Pork meat and eggs are key food items for customers in Thailand and we see opportunities to enhance sourcing standards of these products. By taking the lead, we hope to improve ethical sourcing standards including animal welfare practices in Thailand, so that customers will have access to sustainable products at affordable prices.”
–Kris Comerford, Tesco Lotus’ product director

This critical policy win by Lever will not only improve the lives of egg-laying hens in Tesco Thailand and Malaysia’s supply chain but also represent the first cage-free commitment from a retailer in both countries.

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.