International perceptions of animals and the importance of their welfare

Abstract

Our perceptions shape our intentions, our motivations, our behavior, and in doing so, our reality. In this age of the Anthropocene, our perceptions also impact the lives and welfare of other animals. One of the key principles associated with the success of international animal welfare initiatives is an understanding of local audiences and contexts. Additionally, culture by country has been demonstrated to be a significant determinant of attitudes to animals and their welfare. Within this study, we surveyed 4,291 members of the general public on their perceptions of animals and animal welfare across 14 geographically and culturally diverse countries; Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sudan, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States. For many countries included in this study, this constitutes the first time research of this nature has been conducted. Most participants across all countries agreed that the welfare of both farmed animals and companion animals was important to them, and that laws that protect that welfare were also important. The notion that humans always care more for companion animals in comparison to farmed animals is challenged, as is the notion that care for the welfare of animals is a trademark of highly developed nations alone. It is proposed that the utility of the animals, and proximity by way of exposure are more significant than companionship in some countries, particularly those that are engaged with subsistence farming. Important differences exist by country, and the findings have been presented within the context of each country, for ease of incorporation into localized strategy where suitable.

Consumer attitudes towards egg production systems and hen welfare across the world

“…in California, where conventional cage systems are outlawed and Californian Proposition 12 will restrict the movement of eggs produced in cage systems into the state (State of California, 2018) unless overturned by the Supreme Courtthe USA is also mostly without restriction in terms of hen welfare requirements in egg production. This finding is consistent with a previous inhouse survey by Faunalytics; one in which the general public in the USA had lower pro-chicken attitudes as compared to those in Brazil and China (Wulderk et al, 2022); another in which USA students studying in the UK scored amongst the lowest when associating sentience to chickens as compared to British students and ex-pats from 14 other countries (Phillips and McCulloch, 2005), and lastly in separately published findings within the present study in which USA respondents associated the lowest mean importance to the welfare of chickens as compared to all other countries, only slightly above fish and sharks (Sinclair et al, 2022b). The lack of legislation may in part be explainable by the diversity of culture, political alignment, and legislative process between the individual states throughout the country, as animal welfare most commonly falls under state-based jurisdictions.…”

Discrepancies between farmers' perceptions and actual animal welfare conditions on commercial pig farms

“…Slovenian farmers rate all parameters of animal welfare very highly. Many studies which include participants from different countries of the world reported similar resultspeople generally find animal welfare and the laws that protect animals important (26), most people want better welfare for animals (27), and find animal protection an important social issue (28). Animal health status is the most important, and environmental conditions are the least important factors for animal welfare, according to farmers in our study.…”

Cage egg producers' perspectives on the adoption of cage-free systems in China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand

“…in the world; ∼604.68 billion eggs per year (9). The nation also hosts the greatest population in the world; ∼1.4 billion people (34).…”

“…Since the intensification of animal agriculture and the rise of affluence in Asia, widespread domestic poverty in countries such as China is rapidly becoming an epidemic of the past ( 6 ). Recent research has shown that “animal welfare” and “animal protection” are considered important in many countries in Asia amongst the general public ( 7 – 9 ), in agricultural science ( 10 ), and the livestock industry ( 11 ). One of the few studies on this topic that was conducted in the region, found that livestock industry leaders across Asia see a variety of benefits in improving animal welfare, such as; improved productivity, improved product quality, and market differentiation ( 12 ), and another study indicated that engaging industry stakeholders could be effective in improving industry practices and animal welfare ( 13 ).…”

“…As such, cage-free egg production systems are currently emerging across the region ( 15 ). However, Asia and other regions of the world still primarily utilize cage-based systems of egg production; ~90% of eggs produced in China, 80% in India, and almost 100% of eggs produced in Malaysia are produced in cages ( 9 ). The risk of negative economic implications, such as an increase in the cost of production resulting in higher egg prices ( 16 ), and a perceived reduction in the hygiene of cage-free eggs ( 17 ), could serve to undermine the transition to cage-free systems.…”