Grocery chain faces global backlash over animal welfare delays
See where we’ve protested:
United States:
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- New York City, NY
- Quincy, MA
- Rosemont, IL
Globally:
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Hamburg, Germany
- Holzminden, Germany
- Milan, Italy
- Zaandam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Madrid, Spain
- London, U.K.
- Animal Equality has launched a campaign against Ahold Delhaize–owner of Food Lion, Stop & Shop, Giant, and Hannaford–for breaking its long-standing animal welfare promises.
- Millions of animals in Ahold Delhaize’s supply chains will remain in cramped conditions for years to come.
- While some Ahold Delhaize brands committed to ending this cruelty almost a decade ago, they have failed to report any meaningful progress.
- In Europe, stricter laws have forced Ahold Delhaize to improve. Weaker U.S. regulations allow extreme confinement to continue.
- Protests have erupted globally, with advocates demanding that Ahold Delhaize end cruelty in its supply chain.
- Several advocates have been met with aggression, with death threats being issued against Animal Equality’s Vice President for Europe.
Update August 2025 – As Ahold Delhaize executives met near Amsterdam to choose a new chairman, about fifty advocates gathered outside the hotel to call for an end to cages. Inside the meeting room, Animal Equality shareholders pressured executives for answers about their failed animal welfare commitments. Five more advocates entered the hotel with megaphones. Some were attacked by hostile guests.
Update July 2025 – Protesters gathered outside Ahold Delahize’s headquarters with a banner declaring the site a “contamination zone” for cruelty. Speaking to Animal Equality’s Vice President for Europe, a bystander threatened to return with more people and “kill” protesters. A passerby then threw eggs at demonstrators, splattering nearby buildings.
Update June 2025 – During a month of actions at Ahold Delhaize’s headquarters, protesters were assaulted by two bystanders who threw eggs and water balloons.
Update May 2025 – Animal Equality returned to Ahold Delhaize’s headquarters in Zaandam with banners, signs, and a truck showing footage from its U.S. pig farm investigation. The protest started with the March of the Masks, a silent procession of advocates wearing photos of the board’s faces.
Update April 9, 2025 – Animal Equality staged protests in Zaandam, home to Ahold Delhaize’s global headquarters. Advocates questioned executives during a shareholder meeting and spread the message with a mobile billboard, a mock “animal abuse” award, and a plane flying a banner. That evening, projections lit up the company’s headquarters with calls for action.
Update April 8, 2025 – Animal Equality released an undercover investigation from a Kansas pig breeding facility linked to Ahold Delhaize. This footage shows pregnant pigs locked in cages, unable to turn around or take more than a single step.
Update December 2024 – Animal Equality began protesting companies that share board members with Ahold Delhaize–including Pandora Jewelry, Symrise, Bunzl, and Customs Support Group. These secondary campaigns increase pressure on Ahold Delhaize’s Supervisory Board, the group responsible for its animal welfare policies.
Animal Equality has launched a campaign against Ahold Delhaize—the global company behind Food Lion, Giant Food, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop. Despite publicly claiming to support animal welfare, the company has delayed its goals and failed to report meaningful progress on its existing promises.
In addition to eroding consumer trust, this delay will leave millions of farmed animals in cramped conditions for years to come.
In 2019, the company promised to stop using cages for hens in its U.S. supply chain by 2025. Now, that deadline has been pushed to 2032 and only applies to some egg products.
Progress for pregnant pigs is also slow, with cages set to be eliminated by 2028—also with some exceptions.
In the European Union, stricter laws have pushed Ahold Delhaize’s brands–like Albert Heijn and Delhaize Belgium–to comply with better standards. They follow EU rules on egg sourcing and restrict cages for pregnant pigs.
In the U.S., weaker laws allow harmful practices to continue. The company blames delays on supply chain issues and the impact of avian flu on egg production. However, advocates argue that overcrowding and unsanitary conditions within the industry itself are the root causes of avian flu outbreaks.
Ahold Delhaize publicly claims to support animal protection, but their repeated delays and lack of transparency tell a different story. Consumers can no longer trust a company that has had policies for pigs and hens in place for years yet failed to report any real progress. It’s time for them to stop making excuses and take meaningful action. — Dane Charbeneau, Animal Equality’s Campaigns Manager
Take a stand for pigs and hens
Animal Equality is demanding Ahold Delhaize deliver clear plans to end cages for hens and pregnant pigs. Visit Animal Equality’s Action Center to discover how you can hold them accountable today.
Looking to make an even greater impact? Pigs and hens suffer far beyond the cage, enduring pain for meat and eggs. By choosing plant-based meals, you offer them a life free from suffering. Every choice on your plate tells a story—make yours one of compassion and hope.
SAVE ANIMALS FROM ABUSE
Pigs, cows, and other animals feel pain and deserve to be protected from abuse.
You can protect these intelligent animals by simply choosing plant‑based alternatives.
