Ryan Gosling Speaks Out Against Costco’s Caged Hens
Philanthropic actor Ryan Gosling recently spoke out against Costco, criticizing the second-largest supermarket chain in the US for not following through with its promise to sell cage-free eggs.
In 2007, the grocery retailer promised to eliminate caged eggs from its supply chain, but new evidence reveals that Costco has failed miserably at achieving its goal. In addition, Costco continues to sell eggs that are not only made under horrific conditions, but are marketed in a highly misleading way.
In response, Gosling openly posted a letter this past Monday sharing his disgust at the discoveries made by undercover investigators from the Humane Society, who managed to sneak into a notorious egg-producing factory called Hillendale, in Pennsylvania.
He wrote: “Video footage revealed abhorrent cruelty including rows upon rows of birds confined in filth-laden cages with the mummified corpses of their cage-mates—eating, sleeping, defecating, and laying eggs on top of dead birds—and hens’ wings, legs, and necks trapped in the corroded wires of their battery cages.”
And the video footage truly is horrifying. Here is the three-minute clip captured which spurred Gosling to action. Warning: Viewer Discretion is advised.
Did Costco actually intend on cleaning up its act when it made the promise to only sell eggs from cage-free hens in 2007? Many of its promises and actions have proven to be conflicting. For example, the retail chain announced it would only source antibiotic-free chicken, but then turned around and agreed to sell GM salmon in its Seattle store. What is going on?
As the Humane Society stated in its initial report on the investigation:
“We understand that companies need time to make major changes, but it’s been nearly a decade and Costco still doesn’t even have a timeline for accomplishing that transition… I am sure that no reasonable observer would expect that company to wait nearly a decade to act on its statement of principles.”
Despite one’s motive for supporting cage-free hens, it seems reasonable to suggest a boycotting of this chain until it follows through with its promise made 8 years ago. Consumers get what they pay for, and it is the demand that prompts change.
*Article originally appeared at EWAO.
