Observers of the growing consumer demand for ethically selected food products know that purchasing preferences for meat, eggs and dairy are now increasingly influenced by more than just price and quality. Today, consumers are more concerned than ever about animal welfare in food production.
In a new survey commissioned by American Humane Association, 95 percent of nearly 6,000 respondents said they were concerned about farm animal welfare, an increase of six percentage points from a similar survey conducted in 2013. In addition, 93 percent reported that buying products from humanely raised animals is very important to them. In the 2014 study, over three-quarters of respondents said they would be willing to pay more for humanely raised meat, eggs and dairy products, up from 74 percent just last year. In both the 2013 and 2014 surveys, products labeled “humanely raised” ranked higher in consumers’ expressed perceptions of importance than those labeled “antibiotic-free,” “organic” or “natural.”