Better known for selling furniture flat-packs, corporate giant IKEA has announced several improvements to its animal welfare policy for chickens raised on meat farms that supply its in-store restaurants throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

The improvements include providing environmental enrichments such as perches, better air quality, ceasing routine use of antibiotics, reducing the density of birds to ~15 per square meter, and providing better lighting conditions with a minimum of six hours of continuous darkness over a 24-hour period. (If you are unfamiliar with modern animal farming practices, please visit our Farmed Animals Campaign to learn more.)

The first set of minimum standards will have deadlines as early as 2020, with final compliance expected by 2025. For accountability, IKEA will use both third party and internal reporting methods, in addition to publicly sharing its progress in its annual sustainability report.

These improvements were advanced by The Open Wing Alliance, an alliance which brings member organizations together, including In Defense of Animals, to create a unified front to help chickens raised for food —arguably the most abused land-animal species in the world.

As we work toward ending all forms of animal exploitation, we encourage you to support reforms like these along the way. As an individual, you can help animals even further by transitioning to a vegan lifestyle. Download your free vegan starter guide today!