Campaign to Serve Cage-Free Egg Menus and Promote Animal Welfare

The Japan Sustainable Restaurant Association (hereinafter referred to as SRA Japan) and the Animal Welfare Corporate Partners (AWCP) will hold the "FOOD MADE GOOD Animal Welfare Action Campaign" from Wednesday, July 1, 2026, to Friday, July 31, 2026, targeting restaurants nationwide.

This campaign is an initiative aimed at increasing the awareness and consumption of cage-free eggs in Japan. Food service businesses such as restaurants, hotels, izakaya pubs, catering services, and school cafeterias will offer menus using eggs produced with consideration for animal welfare, such as free-range eggs and pasture-raised eggs. They will communicate the background and the producers' thoughts to customers and spread the message through social media.

Background of the Campaign

In recent years, "animal welfare," which considers the environmental impact, producer sustainability, and the living conditions of livestock, has been gaining attention in the food service and distribution industries, particularly in Europe and the United States. Among these, eggs are a relatively easy ingredient for restaurants to introduce and are familiar to consumers. On the other hand, while Japan is one of the world's leading egg-consuming countries, with an annual consumption of about 320 eggs per person, the distribution ratio of cage-free eggs is less than 5%. Restaurants are important points of contact with consumers. Conveying "what kind of eggs are being used" and "why those eggs were chosen" through cooking has great power to change consumer awareness. This campaign aims to first have restaurants understand this situation and then communicate it to consumers through their dishes, thereby creating a future where "chosen eggs" become the norm.

Campaign Details: Communicating Animal Welfare Through "Deliciousness"

In this campaign, participating restaurants will take the following actions:

1. Procure eggs produced with consideration for animal welfare and offer egg dishes.
The eligible eggs are as follows: free-range eggs (cage-free eggs), pasture-raised eggs, aviary eggs, organic JAS certified eggs, and Eco-Design certified eggs. Restaurants will create and offer dishes, sweets, breakfast menus, etc., using these eggs.

2. Education from restaurants to consumers.
Participating stores will disseminate information about the production background of the eggs and the current state of cage-free farming in Japan through explanations when serving dishes, menu descriptions, website and social media posts.

3. "Experiential" social awareness that only restaurants can provide.
The unique feature of this campaign is that instead of directly asking consumers to "buy," restaurants offer it as a "delicious experience." By conveying the current state of animal welfare along with the chef's skills, the store's procurement policy, and its story, they will proactively propose sustainable choices. This also serves as an opportunity for participating restaurants to practice and communicate sustainable store management. Participating stores will be automatically nominated for the "FOOD MADE GOOD Japan Award Special Prize: Animal Welfare Award."

Implementation Overview

Campaign Name: FOOD MADE GOOD Animal Welfare Action Campaign
Period: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 – Friday, July 31, 2026
Target: Restaurants, izakaya pubs, hotels, cafes, catering services, school cafeterias, etc. nationwide
Participation Fee: Free
Organizer: Japan Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA Japan)
Co-organizer: Animal Welfare Corporate Partners (AWCP)
Special Website: FOOD MADE GOOD Animal Welfare Action Campaign Special Page
Explanatory Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/@sra7389
Instagram: @foodmadegoodjp

Comment from the Organizer

The Japan Sustainable Restaurant Association promotes the "FOOD MADE GOOD Standard," an international standard for food sustainability based on three pillars: "Sourcing," "Environment," and "Society." Through this campaign, we aim to make the theme of animal welfare, which is part of "Sourcing," more familiar to people through the dishes that restaurants serve daily. "Changing the eggs" might be a small action. However, we believe that the accumulation of these choices has the power to change the future of food. (Takeshi Shimotaya, Representative Director, Japan Sustainable Restaurant Association)

Contact Information

Japan Sustainable Restaurant Association
Contact: Tanaka, Goto
E-mail: info@foodmadegood.jp
Web: Japan Sustainable Restaurant Association Official Website

Citations and Reference Links

*1) Keimei Shimbun https://keimei.ne.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/420807221cc6e642a0de15e65e912f64.pdf
*2) Information from the International Egg Commission: 2023 6.4%, 2024 3.5%
Azabu University, Laboratory of Animal Resource Economics, published July 2025: Ratio of cage-free laying hens approximately 3.17%