Why China’s poultry sector is turning to cage-free duck farming

While chicken welfare has dominated the cage-free discourse, ducks remain a conspicuous blind spot. Scientific evidence is clear, showing that caged conditions are deeply incompatible with duck biology. Despite playing a major role in China’s poultry sector and export markets, ducks have yet to see the same level of scrutiny or reform as traditional poultry, but that’s changing, as some industry players turn their attention to waterfowl as the next phase of animal welfare reform.

With nearly 4.2 billion ducks reportedly farmed for meat and eggs in 2023 — more than double the global pig population — duck welfare in the food industry has not received the same attention as other poultry. 

Yet research suggests that caged conditions are deeply incompatible with duck biology, as these animals require open water access to clean themselves and regulate body temperature, and without it, they experience significant stress and injury.

Lever China, a specialized arm of the Lever Foundation, an international non-profit that promotes sustainable protein sources and animal welfare, is now at the forefront of extending the cage-free movement to include waterfowl. 

Cage-free business benefits

For export-oriented producers in China or elsewhere in Asia, cage-free production is a compelling value proposition that will make it easier to export to Western markets and enhance product differentiation when selling into Southeast Asia or similar markets.

Bing Lam, corporate engagement director at Lever China, tells us how they are already seeing results. Most notably, Xuri Egg Products, a major Chinese egg producer, has set a target to produce and export 100% cage-free duck eggs by 2026. Xiao Diao Li Tang, a popular restaurant chain, has become China’s first to commit to 100% cage-free poultry and eggs across both chickens and ducks.

These pledges reflect a deepening shift in corporate and consumer attitudes toward animal welfare in Asia.

Lam flags how ducks are not as widely considered in the West because duck meat and eggs are not very common in US or European cuisine. However, in China, they are a significant part of the poultry and egg sectors. 

“Similar to chickens, the industry trend over the past 20 years has been to shift toward cage systems, with many ducks raised for meat, and the majority of ducks raised for eggs now being raised in cage systems. Modern cage-free production systems truly shine due to their food safety benefits, quality advantages, and higher animal welfare, while also providing significant brand benefits to consumers,” she tells Food Ingredients First.

“Lever China has supported dozens of producers and many dozens of food companies in understanding these benefits and shifting toward cage-free production or cage-free supply chain policies on chicken eggs and meat over the past six years, and now Lever China has expanded that work to provide similar support to producers and food companies on duck products.” 

Estimates suggest that of the 4.2 billion ducks farmed annually worldwide, the majority come from China’s Shandong Province, which accounts for about 70% of total national production. 

“The duck supply chain also has more market volatility than the chicken sector, and prices can vary somewhat significantly. Another difference is that, while nearly all chicken production in China is for domestic consumption, an increasing share of duck production is for export markets, including frozen cuts and premium products like foie gras,” Lam continues.

“One other difference is that, unlike chickens, ducks have a strong affinity for water, and access to water is quite important, which adds a layer of complexity to the design of enclosed duck farms.” 

China ranks among the top countries in the world for duck consumption, with high demand for both domestic and imported duck meat.

Cage-free system challenges

Lam talks about the key challenges producers face when transitioning from caged to cage-free systems for ducks and how they can overcome them.

“From a production standpoint, the benefits and considerations for medium- or large-scale cage-free production are almost identical to those in the chicken sector. Feed and waste management have to be controlled. A well-designed farm layout and effective management are needed to prevent increased aggression.”

“China’s producers have a strong technical understanding of how to implement cage-free production efficiently.” 

Several major producers already have enclosed barns with water access, so the knowledge for ducks raised for meat or eggs in cage-free systems is already established.

Xuri Egg Products is one of the country’s largest duck egg exporters, selling to a range of food companies in Europe and the US, including Costco, Asian grocery stores, and major catering companies, as well as to Southeast Asia. 

“They produce both caged and cage-free duck eggs, and in recent years have begun shifting toward caged production. However, they see the strong brand and quality value of cage-free, and Lever China is proud to help them set a policy of making 100% of the eggs they export cage-free in the coming years.” 

China expands animal welfare to waterfowl

Lim posits that China is showing good leadership on animal welfare standards. When it comes to setting supply chain policies for sourcing only cage-free chicken and duck meat, foodservice players have so far been the quickest to move. 

Many medium- and large-restaurant chains have set policies in this area over the past two years regarding cage-free chicken. In March, Yurun Holdings Group announced plans to transition to 100% cage-free eggs and chicken across its global factories by 2035, integrating animal welfare into its procurement standards.

“Lever China is now seeing the same trend with duck. More recently, some companies, such as Xiao Diao Li Tang, have been setting comprehensive cage-free commitments — making all duck and chicken meat and eggs in their supply chain cage-free. For restaurant groups like Xiao Diao Li Tang, this sort of policy builds on their reputation for excellence,” Lim says.

Commitments around cage-free eggs are growing in China as consumer attitudes toward animal welfare in Asia start to shift.

Animal welfare awareness is growing 

China is a fertile environment for rapidly adopting higher-welfare, modern farming systems, and has a unique opportunity to accelerate them further as consumer expectations for greater animal welfare rise.

“Consumers increasingly associate more modern, European-style production systems, such as cage-free aviary systems, with improved food safety, quality, and nutrition, which is certainly an accurate perception,” explains Lim.

“Surveys show younger generations have a significant interest in animal welfare and view brands that provide animals in their supply chain with more natural living conditions much more favorably. And in the population as a whole, there is both a stronger interest in sustainability and a stronger concern around healthy eating than in many other countries.”

“On the corporate side, companies in China (including agricultural producers and food companies) can adapt and adjust practices much more quickly than is typically the case in Europe and the West. Things move more quickly. And given the country’s manufacturing and technical capabilities, domestic equipment producers can design and produce new cage-free farm equipment at a much lower cost than Western manufacturers.”