Who are farm animal welfare conscious consumers?

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to synthesize the literature on consumer preferences for farm animal welfare (FAW), with an emphasis on characterizing consumers based on their FAW preferences. The objective is to provide insights into the salient characteristics associated with animal welfare conscious consumers.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conduct a systematic review of the results of published research on consumer preferences for FAW. Approximately 350 papers were reviewed, and 52 were included in the analysis.FindingsThe authors’ review suggests that consumers are not homogenous in their preferences for FAW. The authors identify seven themes that enabled them to characterize consumers with higher FAW preferences. These themes (i.e. age, education and income, gender, country and cross-cultural differences, attitudes and consumer and citizen functions) are grouped under four main headings (socio-demographics, ethics and attitudes, product characteristics and public roles).Research limitations/implicationsThe authors’ synthesis reflects the findings reported in the literature to this date; the identified characteristics may change with time as new evidence becomes available.Practical implicationsThe information collected in this article would be useful to farmers and food and non-food retailers interested in effective product differentiation and marketing strategies regarding FAW standards. It can also inform policymakers about the state of consumer concerns for FAW.Originality/valueTo the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first study that attempts to develop a systematic profile of consumers based on their FAW preferences.

Consumers attitudes toward animal welfare friendly produce: An island of Ireland study

“…Consumers in developed countries however are becoming more concerned about animal welfare and ethical issues surrounding meat consumption. It is therefore critical that the livestock industry appreciates and understands consumer's perception of animal welfare and how it manifests itself in regard to consumer behavior (Heise and Theuvsen, 2017;Alonso et al, 2020;Boaitey and Minegishi, 2020;Yeh and Hartmann, 2021). This study aims to further understand consumer's perception of FAW on the island of Ireland, particularly shedding light on the attitude-behavior gap (sometimes referred to as the 'citizen-consumer disconnect') that has been a common finding in the FAW consumer literature (Grunert, 2006;Clark et al, 2016).…”

A Retrospective Literature Evaluation of the Integration of Stress Physiology Indices, Animal Welfare and Climate Change Assessment of Livestock

“…In contemporary animal welfare science, animal sentience is commonly acknowledged and valued in welfare assessments [ 28 ]. Animal sentience is the basis on why animals can experience positive and negative states, and therefore, the basis of why animal welfare assessments are important [ 29 , 30 ]. That being said, not all studies investigating animal welfare in livestock production systems that we have come across have meaningfully integrated the subjective emotional experience of animals in animal welfare discussions or evaluations.…”

The Human Perspective in Consumer Ethics and Animal Welfare Issues: Envisioning a Future for Change

“…Indeed, consumers are increasingly looking for healthy foods obtained with breeding methods that respect animals' physical and mental needs [32]. At the same time, producers and distributors use animal welfare as a marketing lever aimed at promoting corporate image and product differentiation [33][34][35]. The strategy developed by the EU is based on four pillars:…”