SHV decides. Makro complies.
Hens suffer.
Across Latin America, battery cages are still widely used for egg production. Millions of hens spend their entire lives confined in tiny cages, enduring constant suffering. In Colombia, this cruelty is sustained by Makro — a company fully owned by SHV Holdings.
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SHV is a corporation that publicly prides itself on high sustainability standards, particularly in Europe. Yet those standards disappear in the Global South. While SHV promotes responsibility and ethics globally, its subsidiary Makro continues to sell eggs from caged hens in Colombia.
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This is not an oversight — it is a corporate decision. SHV has the power to end this suffering and ensure that its sustainability commitments apply everywhere, not only where it is convenient.
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Will SHV continue to allow Makro to profit from cruelty, or will it finally align its global actions with its public values?

Sign the petition
Ask SHV to require MAKRO to go cage-free.
Demand accountability from SHV and Makro. Real sustainability must apply everywhere.
Why do we need to get rid of cages?

Lack of space
Up to 12 hens can be crammed into a single small cage. This often means that each hen has less space than an A4 sheet of paper to live her entire life.

Frustration
They are unable to express natural behaviors such as spreading their wings, walking freely, or nesting.
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This deprivation causes them to live in a constant state of frustration.

Pain
They frequently suffer from bone diseases such as osteoporosis, making them prone to fractures and deformities caused by constant friction and contact with the metal cages.

Death
Sometimes dead hens are left to rot for days, forcing surviving hens to live alongside the decomposing bodies of their companions. In cages, hens are often forced to live surrounded by their own waste.

Public health
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that cage systems have a higher prevalence of Salmonella compared to cage-free systems.
How can I help more?
Use your voice in The Netherlands and Colombia
About SHV
SHV Holdings owns Makro and enables the use of cages in Colombia despite claiming high sustainability standards in Europe.



