In February this 12 months, murals appeared throughout Indonesia depicting the appalling residing situations of layer hens in battery cages. The message was strengthened by a concurrent motion wherein instructional posters have been pasted up in public areas throughout the cities.
Animal Associates Jogja (AFJ) together with Act For Farmed Animals (AFFA) collaborated with mural artists and Barisan Muda-Mudi Xayang Xatwa (BMXX) and AFJ volunteers for the Farmed Animal Marketing campaign in seven main Indonesian cities, together with Medan and Palembang on Sumatra, Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Surabaya on Java Island and Denpasar on Bali.
A #gocagefree marketing campaign mural in Surabaya. Picture provided.
The murals and posters embody QR codes asking the general public to signal petitions asking for 2 world meals firms, McDonald’s and A&W, to make commitments to supply solely cage-free egg merchandise of their provide chains. The marketing campaign is geared toward gaining public consciousness on the cruelty of the battery cage system for layer hens and inspiring company dedication to do cage-free farming.
“In Indonesia, many types of avenue artwork (murals, posters, wheat pasting, stenciling, graffiti, and many others.) are bringing political, social, and humanitarian points to gentle. Nonetheless, for some cause, few of them give voice to the injustice confronted by animals, together with animals exploited within the farming trade,” defined Xgo, from Serikat Mural Surabaya.
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Elly Mangunsong, the AFJ Company Outreach Coordinator, mentioned, “We’re glad to have the involvement and assist of the artists for our marketing campaign to finish the battery cage methods on this nation. We hope this inventive avenue artwork marketing campaign can appeal to public assist to induce meals firms to make a dedication and swap to utilizing eggs provided by cage-free farms that apply excessive requirements of animal welfare all through their animal-related practices.”
The usage of battery cages itself has been prohibited in a number of nations and areas, together with Switzerland, the European Union, Bhutan, and plenty of areas of the Americas. Nevertheless, in response to the UN Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO), this merciless system nonetheless dominates the animal farming sector in Indonesia, with greater than 260 million layer hens struggling in slender battery cages, residing for years in an area lower than the scale of a bit of A4 paper. This technique doesn’t enable the hens entry to a lot of the pure behaviors which might be important for his or her welfare, reminiscent of perching, nesting to put eggs, mud bathing, to not point out scavenging in soil, and exploring.
“The concept that battery cages are merciless remains to be a really new idea for many individuals right here, and to see chickens caged inside small cages is taken into account regular. AFJ’s marketing campaign has opened our eyes to their struggling,” defined Ruru, the artist who coordinated the mural in Palembang. “By the mural that we made, we hope that folks could be educated about what they eat and that they are going to be extra involved about animal welfare,” Ruru continued.

A #gocagefree marketing campaign mural in Medan. Picture provided.
Two giant multinational firms which have dedicated to a cage-free coverage are Yum! Manufacturers and Focus Manufacturers. These company giants are mum or dad firms for varied well-known fast-food firm manufacturers. On the finish of 2021, they globally dedicated to finish the usage of hen eggs sourced from battery cage farms throughout their world provide chain. The dedication was made after a marketing campaign was launched in opposition to them by Open Wing Alliance, a coalition of animal safety organizations from world wide, together with AFJ. This success can be carefully linked to the general public assist of shoppers who care about animal welfare and demand higher requirements.
This important success—altering the insurance policies of huge meals firms to now not settle for eggs from hens in battery cage methods—is anticipated to open the gate for world change. In Indonesia, the change is already occurring with a number of native and nationwide meals sector companies primarily based in Yogyakarta, which have additionally dedicated to a cage-free coverage of their provide chain after discussions with AFJ. These embody Chocolate Monggo, Mediterranea Restaurant, Kebun Roti Artisan Bakery, ViaVia Artisan Bakery, Yabbiekayu Restaurant and Eco Villas, Bumi Langit Restaurant, and Blue Steps Villa & Resto, with curiosity in becoming a member of the marketing campaign from different companies constructing every day.

A #gocagefree marketing campaign mural in Palembang. Picture provided.
The urgency to cease the usage of battery cages can be linked to human well being points. A complete examine regarding meals security by European Meals Security Authority/EFSA) concerning the comparability of salmonella contamination within the battery cage vs. cage-free methods concluded that the salmonella contamination within the battery cage system is larger than the free-cage system.
“Other than ignoring animal welfare rules, the intensive farming system for any such egg manufacturing additionally dangers our well being. It’s time for us to just accept the details and attempt to apply a cage-free coverage that may defend each the animals from excessive cruelty and folks’s well being,” Elly concluded.
Act for Farmed Animals (AFFA) is a joint marketing campaign run by Animal Associates Jogja and Sinergia Animal to extend animal welfare in Indonesia.