Fernando Fernandez is the CEO of Unilever, a global consumer goods giant whose products are used by millions of consumers worldwide. As CEO of Unilever, Fernando Fernández is responsible for the company’s direction and the commitments it makes to consumers around the world. Yet Unilever has abandoned its global promise to eliminate cages from its egg supply chain, leaving millions of hens behind.
Investor Day is about more than setting out Unilever’s ambitions for the future. It is an opportunity for leadership to demonstrate that the company can be held accountable for the promises it has already made.
In 2018, Unilever committed to eliminating cages from its global egg supply chain by 2025. Instead of fulfilling that promise, it abandoned its global commitment. Millions of hens remain at risk of spending their lives confined in cramped wire cages, unable to move freely or perform basic natural behaviors.
The double standard is glaring. Unilever maintains cage-free sourcing in Europe and North America, yet customers in other regions have been left behind. Why should animal welfare depend on where a product is sold? Are these customers—and the animals in their supply chains—not worth the same commitment?
For investors, this raises a question of accountability: what does a corporate commitment mean if leadership can walk away from it without delivering on the promise? Unilever’s words on responsible business must be measured against its actions—not simply the ambitions it presents at Investor Day.
Fernando Fernández should use this moment to make clear that Unilever’s global commitments still mean something. He must reinstate the global cage-free commitment and publish a clear, time-bound plan to eliminate cages across every market.
You deserve answers. Unilever’s leadership should not be allowed to move on to its next ambition without answering for the promise it abandoned.
At Investor Day, call on Fernando Fernández to reinstate Unilever’s global cage-free commitment.