The number of restaurants and food retailers making public pledges to serve cage-free eggs reached a tipping point, with Walmart, Kroger, CVS, and Albertsons all making statements in just the past several weeks.

For as long as anyone can remember, farmers and ranchers have been the front-line stewards of animal welfare, with an abiding personal and professional interest in the healthy and humane treatment of their livestock.

Changes to animal welfare policy in the last year by giants such as Starbucks, Aramark and — most recently — Walmart reflect the fact that farm animal welfare is a growing issue of importance in this country as consumers seek food choices that reflect their values.

A humane certification label assures consumers that farmers and producers across the U.S. are raising these animals under good animal-welfare standards, covering everything from adequate space to air quality, diet, living conditions and the ability to express natural behaviors.