05/23/2025
Lively LLC is pleased to announce the official launch of a new experiential animal welfare education program for corporations and organizations, beginning in May 2025, in collaboration with Professor Tsuyoshi Shimmura of the Graduate School of Agriculture at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.
This program utilizes the “Unshelled” animal welfare model poultry house, designed and developed by Professor Shimmura, as a site for hands-on learning. Lively is responsible for the development and facilitation of corporate-focused educational programs at “Unshelled.” The initiative offers a practical learning platform that fuses science and business, grounded in the “One Welfare” concept — a holistic approach that links the health of animals, humans, and the planet.
Participants will have the opportunity to:
・Tour the Unshelled facility
・Collect eggs
・Engage in facilitated dialogue within a specially designed observation room
Through these experiences, participants will gain direct insight into four different egg-laying hen housing systems — conventional cages, enriched cages, multi-tier aviary systems, and free-range pasture setups. These are systems rarely seen by the general public, offering a rare glimpse into the realities of egg production.
The facility’s observation room, built with strict considerations for avian influenza prevention and hygiene management, provides a safe environment for visitors. There, participants can compare different housing methods based on the “Five Freedoms” — the internationally recognized framework for assessing animal welfare. This fosters scientific understanding of the balance between animal wellbeing and production efficiency.
Beyond understanding the benefits of cage-free systems, the program also explores:
・Challenges faced by producers in transitioning to cage-free
・Global trends and consumer expectations
・Gaps between local practices and international demands
The program also includes practical business-oriented content, covering topics such as:
・Sustainable strategy development
・ESG reporting and stakeholder communication
・Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of livestock products
・Procurement policy updates
・Brand value enhancement
・Business innovation opportunities
・Designing behavioral incentives for change
By linking animal welfare considerations with a wide range of corporate and sustainability themes, the program aims to inspire a shift toward a more sustainable food system and the creation of positive business models.
Note: The key visual is for illustrative purposes only and may differ from the actual appearance of the Unshelled.
For more information and program details, please refer to the PROJECT article:
[Application Guidelines] Experiential Animal Welfare Education Program for Organizations and Institutions.
(For Professor Shimmura’s full academic profile, please refer to the [Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Researcher Database].)
One of the key objectives of the “Unshelled” animal welfare model poultry house is education and public engagement. It is designed to serve as a space where diverse stakeholders can come together, engage in open dialogue, and build empathy around the topic of animal welfare.
Since before the construction of Unshelled, we’ve had extensive discussions with the team at Lively, working together to advance the integration of science and economics in the field of animal welfare. This program aspires not only to bridge science and economics but also to co-create a vision for the future of animal welfare — through thoughtful discussions with all participants. We warmly welcome your visit and look forward to engaging with you in meaningful dialogue.
Compared to a time when poultry farming was more closely connected to everyday life, today’s modern food systems have distanced both companies and consumers from even the most fundamental questions — “Where do eggs come from?” or “What happens to the hens afterward?”
Since our founding, Lively has engaged in ongoing dialogue with Professor Shimmura, treating animal welfare as one of our core themes. After nearly two years of preparation, we are proud to now offer this program to the public.
We hope this initiative will serve as a space for companies to reexamine the food system through business perspective, and to explore the possibilities of a virtuous cycle — one in which the global environment, people, and animals can coexist in harmony.