Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast are part of new research that shows shoppers would pay more for their weekly food shop if it meant improved welfare for farm animals.
Led by the University of Reading, the team carried out a survey of 3,013 people between September and October 2024. It measured how much shoppers would pay each week for various welfare improvements for a range of farm animals across the UK.
66% of respondents said concern for animal welfare influenced their purchasing decisions, and most believed higher welfare food is healthier, tastes better and is better for the environment.
The findings of the research, published this month in the journal Food Policy, are influencing UK government policymakers to weigh up the cost and benefit of welfare changes.
Professor Niamh O’Connell and Professor Gareth Arnott from the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s were part of the research team. They contributed their animal welfare expertise to judge the value of policy interventions aimed at improving farm animal welfare.
Commenting on the study, Professor Arnott said:
“This research presents a useful and timely evidence-based approach to evaluate the animal welfare and economic benefits of implementing policy changes that improve farm animal welfare. A particularly interesting aspect of the research was the discussions and evaluations of the animal welfare scientists and vets involved in assessing the different scenarios.”
Professor Richard Bennett, who led the research at the University of Reading, said: “Shoppers told us clearly that they want higher welfare for farm animals, and they are ready to pay for it.
“We know food prices have risen since we carried out this survey in 2024, and the cost of living remains a real pressure on households. Even so, our findings show that support for better welfare has not gone away. This is backed up by the fact the UK government is using our research to assess welfare policies.
“People still want reassurance that the meat, milk and eggs they buy come from animals that have been properly cared for, and they are still willing to pay a bit more for that peace of mind.”
What this means for prices in the shop:
The research involved farm animal welfare experts using a tool that scores animal welfare out of 100. Food shoppers were then asked how much they would pay for regulation to raise those scores for animals across the UK.
Thirteen animal welfare scientists and vets scored welfare for six types of animal including laying hens, dairy cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens and beef cattle, looking at food and water, health, housing and the freedom to behave naturally.
The study found that household food shoppers would be willing to pay:
- Eggs: £1.61 per week to move colony cages to free range
- Milk: £1.13 per week to cut dairy cattle lameness
- Pork: £1.61 per week to ban farrowing crates
- Lamb: 21p per week to ensure pain relief for lamb castration
- Beef: 46p per week to cut lameness in beef cattle
Researchers say the tool can be applied in other countries and to other types of farming. The research was led by the University of Reading, working with the Royal Veterinary College, Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Liverpool, Newcastle University, University College Dublin and Scotland’s Rural College.