Animal Welfare - What Does the Public Really Think?

Animal welfare issues are again in the news.

Last week alone saw Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall take on Tesco in the cause of truthful labelling on chicken, Jamie Oliver supporting British pigs, a concerted advertising campaign by Sainsbury promoting their Freedom Foods pork, chicken, and salmon, and news of their ban on caged eggs. We also heard that Tracy, marchioness of Worcester has done a programme advocating better pig welfare, to be screened tonight.

On the other hand, last week also saw a piece by Andy Bond of ASDA in The Grocer claiming that worrying about animal welfare is yesterday’s agenda, and that celebrity chefs are patronising cash strapped consumers. Waitrose who have for years promoted high animal welfare standards seem to be losing sales, and organic meat products, which support high welfare, have apparently seen a big sales drop in the last three months.

So do consumers care?

The facts suggest that many already care enough to have changed how they shop, and that the more information they are given about the issue, the more prepared they are to change. It’s by no means everybody, and even the worried have limits on how much they are prepared to pay, but there is a growing movement to higher welfare products.

IGD research continues to find this. They say that whilst price has increased in importance as a factor influencing shopping habits, the number of consumers who have specifically bought foods with high animal welfare standards has increased from 11% in 2007 to 18% in 2009. They also point out that use of free range eggs has now moved to processed foods such as mayonnaise and pasta.

TNS the market research group in a survey commissioned by Compassion in World Farming have reported that free range chicken sales grew by 35%, and higher welfare sales by 42%, between December 2007 and December 2008. They also say that in December alone, standard chicken sales dropped by 11% in total and by 55% in Tesco. Free range, higher welfare and organic chickens now account for about 15% of sales, still small, but growing fast.

On to pigs. Jamie’s programme attracted 1.9 million viewers, less than the 3 million for his chicken programme, but nevertheless a sizable audience. It is early to judge whether it has made a difference although Waitrose have reported that their sales of pork (all British of course) rose by 20% following the programme.

It looks as if Andy Bond’s sweeping statement that consumers are not prepared to pay for higher welfare products is just not true, and if we are talking patronising, then for Bond to lump all his customers into one box and not recognise that people have different priorities, pressures and values, seems patronising in the extreme.

Most supermarkets, even Tesco and ASDA have acknowledged the trend and sell a higher welfare chicken to help the conscience stricken but cash strapped consumer.

Sainsbury have introduced a Freedom Food endorsed option costing about £1.50 more for the average bird, but with a clear explanation of the better rearing conditions. Sainsbury have also kept their range of basics, free range and organic for those who want alternatives.

They are adopting the same approach on pork. Again, it’s Freedom Food endorsed, again there is an explanation of why it is better for the pigs, and the extra price is small at about 50p per kilo more than standard.

Where will the animal welfare issue go from here? I feel that as awareness of how farmed animals are raised grows, consumers will increasingly look for higher welfare options. It may take years, and it will require commitment from well known respected champions like Hugh and Jamie who will not be put off by vested interests coming down on them like the proverbial ton of bricks, and equally will seek out the full facts before acting. It was a bit depressing for example that Jamie in his admirable support for British pigs did not mention that there are still some unsavoury yet legal pig raising conditions here such as housing the animals on slats. But you have to start somewhere.

There is evidence too that animal welfare concerns could extend to other species. The long running Anchor advertisements for butter from “free range cows”, with the implication that not all cows run freely in the sunshine as consumers would like to believe, would be an example of a company, foreign at that, spotting both the trend towards higher welfare.

Finally, it is not too difficult to imagine that better welfare conditions become such an issue that supermarkets decide to raise the bar for producers yet refuse to pay more.



























claiming that worrying about animal welfare is yesterday’s agenda, and that celebrity chefs are patronising cash strapped consumers, and a concerted advertising campaign by Sainsbury promoting their Freedom Foods pork and chicken, and their ban on caged eggs. This week Tracy, Marchioness of Worcester, will be seen on More 4 TV in the cause of pigs. Meanwhile Waitrose who have for years promoted high animal welfare standards seem to be losing sales, and organic products, which also promote high welfare, have seen a big sales drop in the last three months.

So do consumers care? The facts suggest that many already care enough to have changed how they shop, and that the more information they are given about the issue, the more prepared they are to change. It’s by no means everybody, and even the worried have limits on how much they are prepared to pay, but there is a growing movement to higher welfare products.

The IGD continues to find this. They say that whilst price has increased in importance as a factor influencing shopping habits, the number of consumers who have specifically bought foods with high animal welfare standards has increased from 11% in 2007 to 18% in 2009. They also point out that use of free range eggs has now moved to processed foods such as mayonnaise and pasta.

TNS the market research group in a survey commissioned by Compassion in World Farming have reported that free range chicken sales grew by 35%, and higher welfare sales by 42%, between December 2007 and December 2008. They also indicated that in December alone, standard sales dropped by 11% in total and by 55% in Tesco. It should be said though that the percentage of sales in free range, higher welfare and organic remains small.

On to pigs. Jamie’s programme attracted 1.9 million viewers, less than the xx for his chicken programme, but nevertheless respectable. It is early to see whether it has made a difference although Waitrose have reported that their sales of pork (all British of course) rose by 20% following the programme.

It looks as if Andy Bond’s sweeping statement that “xxxxx” is just not true, and if we are talking patronising, then for Bond to lump all his customers into one box and not recognise that people have different priorities, pressures and values, seems patronising in the extreme.

Sainsbury have spotted the trend, and have been very shrewd in the way that they have tackled the issue. In an effort to help the conscience stricken but cash strapped shopper, they have introduced Freedom Food endorsed, higher welfare chicken with a clear explanation of why it is better for the birds. It does cost more but only about xxxx a kilo, or £ for an average bird. They have also kept their range of basics, free range and organic for those who want an alternative.

They are adopting the same approach on pork. Again, it’s Freedom Food endorsed, again there is an explanation of why it is better for the pigs, and again, the extra price is small.

Where will the animal welfare issue go from here? I feel that as awareness of how farmed animals are raised grows, consumers will increasingly look for higher welfare options. It may take years, and it will require commitment from well known respected champions like Hugh and Jamie who will not be put off by vested interests coming down on them like the proverbial ton of bricks, and equally will seek out the full facts before acting. It was a bit depressing for example that Jamie in his admirable support for British pigs did not mention that there are still some unsavoury yet legal pig raising conditions here such as housing the animals on slats. But you have to start somewhere.

There is evidence too that others are looking at animal welfare conditions from a different angle. The long running Anchor advertisements for butter from “free range cows” would be an example.

Finally, it is not too difficult to imagine that better welfare conditions become such an issue that supermarkets decide to raise the bar for producers yet refuse to pay more.