Consumers value animal welfare more than environmental sustainability

The study, carried out across 5 European nations, found that while consumers considered sustainability to be important, other factors took precedence in purchasing decisions. On product labels, consumers valued information regarding animal welfare, food safety and health and nutrition. The results can help producers to market – particularly sustainably-produced food products – in a more targeted way and make them more attractive to consumers.

The research involved nearly 3,200 consumers in Czechia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK and aimed to identify the attributes that were most important to them when buying meat or dairy products. They were asked to rate the importance of 18 different factors when shopping for meat and dairy products on a scale from 1 (not at all important) to 5 (extremely important). These were:

• Attributes – freshness, quality/taste, healthy eating, nutrition, price, processing, special offers, convenience of use/preparation, and familiarity of brand.
• Animal welfare attributes – animal welfare, outdoor-reared/free range and pasture fed.
• Attributes related to environmental sustainability – locally produced, sustainable packaging, food miles, carbon footprint and organic.
• Social sustainability – fair trade of producer/farmer fairly paid.

Across all the surveyed countries, consumers consistently prioritised freshness, quality/taste and animal welfare as the most important attributes. In contrast, environmental factors, such as food miles, carbon footprint and organic production were deemed less important in influencing purchasing decisions. However, sustainability labels were perceived as helpful among consumers.

Consumer behaviour when buying dairy

Commenting on the findings, Dr Andy Jin, senior lecturer in risk management at the University of Portsmouth, UK, said: “Our study highlights the complex interplay of actors that influence consumer behaviour when buying meat and dairy products. Consumers indicated that information related to animal welfare, food safety and health and nutrition was considered more important than environmental sustainability when making food choices. The findings demonstrate the importance of labelling strategies that encompass multiple aspects of product attributes, beyond environmental considerations alone.”

The implications of the research extended further than consumers to policymakers, producers and retailers in the food industry who are striving to meet evolving consumer demands for more sustainable products.

“Labels on their own are not enough to change behaviour, especially for consumers who have low or no behavioural intention to buy sustainable meat or dairy products. These results should be translated into additional policy measures, such as nudges or behavioural interventions, helping individuals translate their attitudes into behaviour and facilitating the choice of sustainably produced products.”