Effects of demographic factors and information sources on United States consumer perceptions of animal welfare

Abstract

As consumers have become more interested in understanding how their food is produced, scrutiny and criticism have increased regarding intensified food animal production methods. Resolution of public concerns about animal agricultural practices depends on understanding the myriad factors that provide the basis for concerns. An online survey of 798 U.S. households was conducted to investigate relationships between household characteristics (demographics, geographic location, and experiences) and level of concern for animal welfare as well as sources used to obtain information on the subject. Because recent media attention has focused on animal care practices used in the U.S. swine industry, respondents were also asked specific questions pertaining to their perceptions of pig management practices and welfare issues and their corresponding pork purchasing behavior. Respondents reporting higher levels of concern about animal welfare were more frequently female, younger, and self-reported members of the Democratic Party. Fourteen percent of respondents reported reduction in pork consumption because of animal welfare concerns with an average reduction of 56%. Over half of the respondents (56%) did not have a primary source for animal welfare information; those who identified a primary information source most commonly used information provided by animal protection organizations, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Midwest participants were significantly, at the 5% significance level, less concerned about domestic livestock animal welfare and more frequently reported not having a source for animal welfare information than those from other regions of the United States. Overall, the U.S. livestock and poultry industries and other organizations affiliated with animal agriculture appear to be less used public sources of information on animal welfare than popular animal protection organizations. Improved understanding of the factors that contribute to consumers' evolving perceptions of the care and welfare of farm animals is an essential step toward enhanced sustainability and social responsibility in contemporary food production systems.

Public concerns about dairy-cow welfare: how should the industry respond?

“…However, judgments of trustworthiness are also affected by the extent to which individuals or organisations are perceived to be transparent about their practices (Peters et al 1997;Fisman and Khanna 1999;Maeda and Miyahara 2003;Rawlins 2008). This may explain why animal-protection groups are considered more credible sources of information than are livestock industry groups (McKendree et al 2014), and why this positive perception increases following animal-abuse scandals (Scudder and Bishop-Mills 2009;Tiplady et al 2013). These results are consistent with other research, showing that whistle-blowers are viewed favourably by society (Callahan and Dworkin 2000), despite the short-term upheaval caused by exposés (Hersh 2002).…”

“…This resistance is likely to be increased as a result of the reputational damage already suffered by the livestock industries. Animal-advocacy organisations are seen as more trustworthy sources of information than are animal industries (McKendree et al 2014), and this difference in credibility is magnified in the wake of animal-abuse exposés when attitudes towards the livestock sector are especially negative (Tiplady et al 2013). This may explain why negative press has a much greater impact on consumer behaviour than has any positive effect from advertising (Verbeke and Ward 2001).…”

A Systematic Review of Public Attitudes, Perceptions and Behaviours Towards Production Diseases Associated with Farm Animal Welfare

“…Industrial efficiency was viewed negatively and invariably led to more traditional, smaller and lower intensity farms being preferred. In quantitative studies, the majority of participants reported being concerned about FAW, with the proportion ranging between 46 and 86 % (McKendree et al 2014;Bennett and Blaney 2003), more commonly towards the higher end of this range. Those who viewed contemporary farming practices more positively were more appreciative of modern production, with benefits like more sanitary conditions, greater efficiency and improved welfare cited.…”

“…When discussing specific aspects of FAW these often had a human motivation, such as the reduction of the risk of disease transfer and veterinary residues. Behaviour 14-51 % of study participants reported intending to, or already having, decreased their consumption of animal products (McKendree et al 2014;Ellis et al 2009). The restriction of certain meat types were more common than others, with pork and beef consumption most likely to decrease, and chicken consumption most likely to increase, although this may well be due to health and safety concerns, not just welfare considerations.…”

US Resident Perceptions of Dairy Cattle Management Practices

“…This type of disagreement is likely to be frustrating for both sides and unhelpful in the development and implementation of welfare improvements" [4]. Wolf et al [1] and McKendree et al [5] found evidence that demographic factors, such as gender, age, income, and experience with aspects of animal welfare influenced views on livestock animal production processes. Thus, understanding how demographic and other factors potentially influence perceptions of dairy cattle production processes may be important to ensure that dairy farm decision-making is keeping with public expectations.…”