Pig welfare outweighs climate concerns for consumers
Consumers would rather pay more for higher-welfare pork than for pork with a reduced climate footprint, according to a thought-provoking study by the University of Copenhagen.
Researchers from the University looked at whether consumers from Denmark, Germany, the UK and Shanghai, China are willing to pay extra, and if so, how much more, for pork products produced with various credentials.
The study, published in the scientific journal Livestock Science, demonstrates that three out of four respondents in Denmark, Germany and China, and around 60% of the British respondents would be willing to pay more for pork that is ‘improved’ in terms of better animal welfare, lower climate impact, decreased use of antibiotics use, guaranteed freedom from harmful bacteria, and animals that are not fed soy, which leads to the clearing of rainforest.
During one of the qualitative interviews included in the study, a British respondent stated: “I know Greta Thunberg is not going to like me for putting the climate further down the list, but I want happy pigs. I don’t like the idea of them being miserable and crammed together. I think there are other ways in which to help the climate issue.”
by Alistair Driver | Pig World
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