Sweden has just made history.

As of mid-2025, every egg produced in Sweden now comes from hens that are 100% cage-free — marking a landmark victory for animal welfare. project1882.org+2foodingredientsfirst.com+2 This means more than 17 million hens are no longer forced to live their lives in cramped battery cages. project1882.org+1

What makes this milestone especially remarkable: it did not come as the result of a new law — there is no legislation forcing cage-freedom. FoodBev Media+1 Instead, the change emerged from a combination of persistent grassroots advocacy, shifting consumer demand, and companies raising their welfare standards.

At the heart of this transformation is the work of the non-profit campaign group Project 1882. Over nearly two decades, the organisation engaged in public awareness campaigns, corporate dialogues, and partnerships with retailers and foodservice companies. project1882.org+2foodingredientsfirst.com+2 By 2025, Project 1882 announced that all commercial cages were empty and effectively dismantled. project1882.org+1

🐣 From Cages to Freedom: How Sweden Got Here

The journey began decades ago. In 1988, the Swedish Parliament had voted to ban cage systems for laying hens — a sign of early political will. project1882.org+1 However, the transition stalled: conventional battery cages were phased out, but “enriched” cages — still restricting many natural behaviours — remained permissible under amended legislation. project1882.org+1

By the early 2000s, about 40% of Sweden’s laying hens were still kept in cages. project1882.org+1 That’s when Project 1882 stepped up their efforts, targeting retailers, wholesalers, restaurants, and public institutions with a simple message: don’t source eggs from caged hens. project1882.org+1

Over time, more than 85 companies signed cage-free pledges. These included major supermarket chains, hotel and restaurant groups, and other food-service providers. foodingredientsfirst.com+1 At the same time, Swedish municipalities began excluding cage-eggs from public procurement. project1882.org+1

By 2021, the last major retailer to rely on cage eggs — ICA Gruppen — had converted to cage-free eggs. project1882.org+1 From that point onward, the downward trend accelerated: cage egg production dropped to under 1% by 2024. project1882.org+1

Then, in 2025, based on statistics from regional authorities and the egg industry, Project 1882 confirmed that all cages were empty. Sweden is now widely recognized as the first country in the world to become fully cage-free — and to have done so without a law mandating it. foodingredientsfirst.com+2project1882.org+2

Why This Matters — And What It Teaches Us

This is more than a symbolic victory. It means that today, tens of millions of hens in Sweden are able to move more freely, express natural behaviours, and live without the stress and cruelty of confinement.

It also shows that real, systemic change can happen outside parliament — through collective consumer choices, corporate responsibility, and persistent advocacy. The shift in Sweden demonstrates that when society demands better welfare and companies respond, industry-wide transformation is possible — even in an area deeply entrenched in tradition and economics.

For other countries watching, Sweden’s story offers a powerful blueprint:

• Consumer demand matters — people choosing cage-free eggs sends a strong signal.

• Corporate leadership counts — when major retailers and food chains commit, they drive supply-chain change.

• Sustained activism works — decades of campaigning by NGOs can lead to real progress, even when legislation stalls.

Despite this milestone, advocates warn that without formal legal protection, there is a risk cage-egg production could return. The Nordic Times+1 As such, organisations like Project 1882 continue to call for a nationwide — or even European-wide — legal ban on keeping hens in cages. project1882.org+1

In Conclusion

Sweden’s transition to a 100% cage-free egg industry is a landmark achievement: one built not on new laws, but on collective action, conscientious consumption, and corporate responsibility. It shows that if enough people care — and keep at it — profound change is possible.

And perhaps most importantly: sometimes, change doesn’t start in parliaments or courts. It starts with us.