Research reveals mixed messages in consumer attitudes to animal welfare
While animal welfare remains a top priority for consumers, price and taste are dominant factors at the point of purchase, studies conducted by YouGov and IGD have found.
A report by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), which incorporates the two studies, has found that consumers continue to regard animal welfare as an important factor; however, as price can be more influential at the point of purchase, the notion that consumers are willing to pay more for higher animal welfare products is uncertain.
Overall, products labelled as higher welfare make up a small share of the total market. According to a 2021 study by Kantar, for example, only 12% of all pigmeat sold at retailers is outdoor bred, outdoor reared or free range, with products apportioned to this category almost twice as expensive per kg.
AHDB said that this small uptake of higher welfare meat among consumers highlights that, while consumers may say they are concerned with animal welfare, they may not be willing to pay more for these premium products.
Animal welfare, the report stated, is claimed to be one of the most important factors for consumers when choosing meat products, after other considerations such as appearance and price. On the surface, most shoppers rate the welfare of animals as important to them, with 89% of respondents agreeing with this statement in a questionnaire conducted by IGD in July 2020. This trend has been relatively stable in recent years.
Other notable findings of the report included:
- Consumers often associate higher animal welfare with outdoor access and specific practices, such as free range, outdoor reared or bred, and organic production. This comes despite there being no clear definition on free range outside of poultry production.
- Generally, most consumers believe that UK farms have a high standard of animal welfare, although it is accepted there may be issues with compliance in a few instances. A 2020 study by AHDB/Blue Marble showed that consumers regard farmers as the most trusted group in the supply chain, with 71% rating farmers as trustworthy, higher than both supermarkets and food processors.
- 1 in 5 people are reducing their meat intake, with health cited as the main reason for doing so (40%), followed by impact on the environment (26%) and carbon footprint reduction (19%). Animal welfare concerns were cited by 18% of respondents. (This data was taken from an AHDB and YouGov study of May 2021.)
- Animal welfare concerns do remain a key driver for dairy reduction and veganism. 20% of respondents had considered reducing their dairy intake, with 56% of those people citing animal welfare as a reason for doing so. (This data was taken from an AHDB and YouGov study of February 2021.)
Overall, the report found that most consumers think standard tier products have good enough animal welfare standards and there is a reliance on retailers and assurance schemes to ensure this standard is met.
However, AHDB added, negative news stories can have a highly damaging impact, with meat reduction significantly higher (+44%) among those who have seen negative media stories about meat compared to those who had not.
The report stated that, going forward, it is vital that the meat industry continues to ensure good compliance on-farm with existing welfare standards.
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