IHOP Thinks About Maybe Going Cage-Free

In one of the lamest campaign updates I've seen in a long time, the Humane Society of the United States posted that they were encouraged by IHOP's agreement to "begin testing the use of cage-free eggs."

This is the most noncommittal commitment IHOP could have given to get HSUS off their backs. And it worked -- the organization suspended the campaign pending IHOP's test results in a few months.

The IHOP campaign has been under fire from the beginning. Like a number of similar campaigns involving other large chain restaurants, the switch to cage-free eggs is a token gesture. From the animal rights perspective, it doesn't change the fact that animal products are being used. From the animal welfare perspective, "cage-free" (like "free-range" and "organic") isn't very well-defined. Many suppliers don't have conditions that are much better than battery cages. From the local food perspective, "cage-free" doesn't necessarily do anything to support local farmers.

There are times when I'm okay with baby steps, especially because changing the way people eat is a pretty big cultural shift. The little things -- reducing meat, choosing local -- do make a difference, and they help people become more comfortable with bigger ideas like going vegetarian or vegan. But these efforts to get chain restaurants to go "cage-free" are just branding campaigns if they don't also demand higher (or any) standards from the cage-free industry.

Considering the number of eggs they buy, these chains have the power to demand more from their suppliers. (How many times have we seen the reverse happen, where companies like Walmart have demanded less and depressed entire markets as a result?) They could choose suppliers where cage-free actually means something. They could hook up with networks of food co-ops and local farmers around the country and support family farms in the areas where they have restaurants. Instead, they'll probably go with whoever has the "cage-free" label and offers them the cheapest eggs.

The cage-free campaign hasn't really asked much of IHOP, so I don't understand why the agreement to "begin testing" is considered progress. What is there to test? It's the same ingredient going into the same recipes.

Now, if they had been convinced to add vegan alternatives to their menus, it would be a totally different direction and I could understand them taking it slow to make sure they were doing it right. But instead, they've been asked to make a meaningless gesture ... and by acting cautious, they've given it more meaning than it deserves. They're essentially playing hard-to-get. When they do make the official switch (which they probably will since there's not much to lose), they'll be applauded for it when they should be pressed harder to make a real difference.

Photo credit: f.x.l.