A & W Canada is helping finance a study of ways to source eggs from hens housed in free-run and free-range systems.
It's giving 100 thousand dollars to Farm and Food Care Canada to do the study.
The fast-food chain anticipates it will serve only cage- and antibiotic-free eggs within two years.
A & W currently buys eggs from farmers who keep their hens in so-called enriched cages, which are larger than traditional battery cages, where roughly 90 per cent of Canada's egg-laying hens live.
Other major burger chains, like McDonald's and Burger King, along with several other restaurants have promised to phase all cages out of their supply chains up to 10 years from now.
