2023 Natural Grocers Environmental, Social, and Governance Report

Egg Standards

We do not sell eggs from caged hens. Period.

In the United States, ‘cage-free eggs’ likely does not mean what the average consumer thinks it means. The United States Department of Agriculture’s definition of cage-free is that hens are not caged during the laying cycle; the hens may be caged when not producing eggs, and there is no requirement for the hens to spend time outdoors. The cage-free labeling requirements do not address farm ecological practices, nor humane standards of care such as space requirements per hen in the barn.

Our Egg Standards are More Strict In 2016 we established our own egg standards and were the first major US grocery chain to offer an exclusively free-range egg supply chain. Our egg ranking system has three tiers. Our minimum standard, Bronze, is higher than most U.S. grocers offer. Bronze: Minimum of 2 sq. ft. of outdoor access per hen (the amount a sizeable panel of animal welfare scientists and veterinarians determined to be necessary to allow for chickens to exhibit their natural behaviors) Silver: Enhanced outdoor access space with a minimum of 20 sq. ft. per hen and/or at least 6 hours of outdoor space per day; non-GMO Gold: Outdoors all day long with a minimum of 108 sq. ft. of outdoor space per hen; certified organic More info is available at: Egg standards

Now Offering Natural Grocers ® Brand Regenerative Eggs

In 2023 we partnered with Egg Innovations™ to expand our offering to include regenerative certified eggs. We believe that we are the first national grocery chain to offer private-label organic pasture-raised and organic free-range eggs from regenerative certified farms. The Egg Innovations “chicken-first system” provides over 1,000 acres of rangeland on which the hens can engage in their natural behaviors. While the hens are turning over soil, eating insects, and adding fertilizer, they are also helping to increase soil carbon sequestration. The Regeneratively Grown™ verification uses a scientifically rigorous process to measure soil health, the effectiveness of regenerative farm practices, and progress over time. In addition to regenerative and organic certifications, our eggs are American Humane Certified™. More info about our private-label regenerative eggs is available at: Natural Grocers ® Brand Eggs

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NATURAL GROCERS ® | ESG REPORT