Animal welfare: Consumer interest in
animal welfare
There is a general sympathy from UK consumers for animal welfare. In a Eurobarometer survey, 62% said that animal welfare does not receive enough importance in UK food and agricultural policy (1). Asked by the Food Standards Agency to raise spontaneously issues related to food, 15% mentioned meat-related ones including farming/slaughtering practices/animal welfare. 42% agreed, when prompted, to concern about the conditions in which food animals are raised (2).
The question is to what degree this concern translates into buying behaviour.
47% of UK consumers in the Eurobarometer survey say they think about welfare
when they buy meat, some or most of the time, and 56% think they can easily
identify animal welfare friendly products in the shops, some or most of
the time.
Certainly the percentage of free range egg sales has increased. But the
introduction of a sow stall and tether ban does not seem to have had the
same impact (3).
According to the Farm Animal Welfare Council, “Society largely wants to be assured that animals used in food production are not ill-treated in the process, and is perhaps unable to refine its preferences beyond that…. There is a need for society to understand livestock production and have a greater awareness of different production systems and the concept of animals as sentient beings. However, consumer views are diffuse and there is no coherent framework for consumer organisations to work together and bring pressure to bear on the retail and service food sectors.”
Relevant questions could be:
- Do consumer organisations wish to contribute on animal welfare issues
generally and to standards more particularly? If so, how can Defra help
foster participation? - Do the public opinion research findings ring true? What are your members’ views?
- Do consumers understand the price premiums involved and are they
prepared to pay them? - What about low-income consumers?
- How can consumers be better informed?
- In what balance should legislation, assurance standards and labelling
be used to raise standards? - What kind of labelling scheme would be most useful?
- How can choices be expressed when buying processed foods and eating out?
Ann Davison
Consumer Engagement Project
August 2005
(1) Link to European website: Attitudes
of consumers towards the welfare of farmed animals 
(2) Consumer Attitudes to Food; February 2004; Food Standards Agency.
(3) Meat and Livestock Commission pork market figures show rising imports;
MLC, News and Media, pork markets, 2005.
Page last modified:
May 23, 2008