Food is personal. And so is trust. Across cultures, cuisines and continents, the choices people make about what to feed their families are rooted in deeply held values—health, safety, affordability and confidence in how food is produced. That trust is something the global pork industry works to earn every day.

At the heart of that work is a shared responsibility of producing high-quality, safe and nutritious food while caring for animals.

"Everything we do is about protecting those pigs from disease and making sure that we are able to help feed a growing population," said fifth-generation Missouri hog farmer Chris Chinn.

That perspective resonates with producers worldwide, particularly as they face ongoing challenges from endemic diseases such as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). With new advancements in animal health and genetics, how do producers continue to innovate while maintaining—and strengthening—consumer trust?

Understanding Consumer Acceptance Across Markets

To better understand how consumers view emerging technologies in pork production, PIC commissioned Circana, a global leader in consumer behavior insights, to survey more than 5,000 people, ages 18 to 70, in the United States, Canada, Japan, China, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Brazil.

"This eight-country study is one of the largest global studies ever conducted on gene editing in food production," said Staci Covkin, Circana Principal of Innovation, Consumer & Shopper Insights. "It reflects a meaningful investment in listening to consumers before bringing a product to market."

Despite differences in language and food traditions, the research revealed a common thread: Consumers across all eight countries expressed a strong likelihood of purchasing pork from PRRS-resistant pigs.

"This wasn’t about convincing consumers," Covkin added. "It was about understanding what matters to them, how they want it communicated, and how those values map back to the product."

Why PRRS Resistance Matters to Consumers

Across all surveyed markets, the most influential motivator for purchasing pork from PRRS-resistant pigs was responsibly reducing the need for antibiotics. At the same time, PRRS increases the need for antibiotics by more than two-and-half times.²

Additional Insights from the Research Include:

• Consumers who purchase and eat pork at least three times per month indicated above-average purchase likelihood.
• Consumers who prioritize healthy eating were likely to view pork from PRRS-resistant pigs favorably.
• Both younger and older consumers demonstrated strong openness to purchasing pork from gene-edited pigs.
• On average across all eight countries, 47% of consumers indicated they are already familiar with gene editing.
• More than 90% of consumers, on average, indicated they are open to purchasing pork from PRRS-resistant pigs.

Importantly, Circana’s likelihood scores are grounded in benchmarks developed through thousands of concept tests conducted for major consumer packaged goods companies over the past ten years.

"Circana Concept Testing has a 90%+ accuracy rate in predicting consumer behavior," Covkin noted. "These results suggest openness that is not just theoretical, but likely to translate into real purchasing decisions."

A Measured Path Forward

"Consumers want to know how the choices the pork industry makes benefit animals, farmers and families," said Charlie Arnot, CEO of The Center for Food Integrity. "When the purpose is clear and grounded in care for animals, acceptance is likely to follow."

For PRRS-resistant pigs, that purpose is straightforward—improving animal welfare, reducing the impact of a devastating animal disease and thus, responsibly reducing the need for antibiotics.

Circana’s research suggests that as the world learns more about gene editing, consumers are open to the benefits that come with the technology. Across diverse markets, consumers are willing to embrace innovation when it can improve animal welfare and support responsible food production.

As the global pork industry continues to evolve, these insights offer reassurance that innovation and trust can go hand-in-hand by delivering food that meets the values that consumers say they care about most.