Consumer Perceptions and Animal Welfare

Consu m e r

Perceptions & An imal We l fare

The role of the Beef Quality Assurance program in gaining consumer trust.

by Betty Haynes

O

ver the last several decades, animal welfare has risen to the forefront of livestock industry topics.

Animal welfare research principles are utilized daily on farms across the country through the Beef Quality Assurance program.

Consumers and Animal Welfare Consumers consider how their food is raised or grown when making purchasing decisions. These decisions are coming from a place of low familiarity with how cattle are raised.

“We have 27 percent of people saying that they are familiar with how cattle are raised. So that means 73 percent of people are just openly admitting they aren’t familiar at all with how cattle are raised,” says Shawn Darcy, director of market research for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). “At the same time, we have over 40 percent that are always considering how their food is raised or grown.”

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The top drivers of purchasing decisions are taste, safety and value. In recent years, production-related attributes like animal welfare and sustainability have risen.

“Every one of our production-related attributes are up,” he says. “We have significantly more consumers this year considering those attributes than they did last year when considering a meal choice. While these attributes are not considered at the levels of taste, convenience, value and health, they are still displaying growth year after year.”

NCBA conducted focus group research and found that more than 60 percent of consumers have concerns with production with most of those concerns stemming from animal welfare. The research also found that 43 percent of consumers believe cattle live in confinement their entire life.

The Evolving Science of Animal Welfare “I think really on its basic level consumers just simply care about animals, so they care about how they are treated,” says Lily Edwards-Callaway, PhD, Colorado State University animal sciences assistant professor. “People care and they

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want to be involved. Related to that, people care about where their food comes from.”

Edwards-Callaway notes animal welfare has been said to be a public good. A public good is something within society that everyone can enjoy and benefit from.

“We want animals to have all of these things if we are providing them with the care that they deserve,” she says.

“There is nothing in the definition that you probably would not have thought of yourself.”

The discussion of farm animal welfare dates back to 1964 when British animal welfare activist and author, Ruth Harrison, published “Animal Machines” criticizing livestock farming practices of the time. In response, professor Roger Brambell, developed “The Brambell Report” which later became known as “The Five Freedoms”.1 “There has been some criticism of the Five Freedoms because they are absolutes,” says Edwards-Callaway. “But they really have been the foundation for animal welfare and started us off on the right foot for farm animal welfare.” www.illinoisbeef.com

Edwards-Callaway adds Fraser’s Three Circles as another framework for modern animal welfare.2 “If we consider Fraser’s Three Circles when talking about

The Five Freedoms 1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst: by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor.

2. Freedom from Discomfort: by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease: by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.

4. Freedom to Express Normal Behavior: by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.

5. Freedom from Fear and Distress: by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

November/December 2020 - Illinois Beef

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animal welfare, we need to make sure we consider what is important to the animal versus what is important to us.

Ultimately, we need to consider the animal,” she says.

The principles in the Five Freedoms and Fraser’s Three Circles correlate directly to the code of cattle care from the beef quality assurance (BQA) manual.

BQA is a nationally coordinated, state implemented program that provides systematic information to U.S. beef producers and beef consumers of how common sense husbandry techniques can be coupled with accepted scientific knowledge to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions.

“We pay significant attention to basic health and functioning, either directly or indirectly,” says EdwardsCallaway. “I think BQA does a great job of that.”

How to Communicate to Consumers It is more important than ever to communicate animal welfare efforts to consumers.

Consumers are trusting different sources than they have in the past. Modern consumers trust grocery stores, restaurants, butchers, bloggers, and farmers rather than conventional sources like the FDA, USDA, and big corporations.

“Farmers and ranchers are seen as very credible and people want to hear from them, as well as the people involved like veterinarians, nutritionists, and universities that are doing all this research,” says Darcy. “People want to hear from those trusted sources.”

To build consumer confidence in the beef industry, the BQA program was developed.

“What we started to think about within the beef quality assurance team is, is this a message that will resonate with consumers?” he says. “We were able to change views of consumers by just introducing what the Beef Quality Assurance program was.”

After learning about BQA, 70 percent of consumers increased their confidence that the beef they eat is safe, 67

Fraser’s Three Circles Basic health and functioning

Affective states

Natural living

percent of consumers increased their confidence that the animals were treated humanely and another 62 percent said learning built confidence in buying beef from supermarkets or restaurants.

Last fall, the Beef Checkoff, under the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand launched a campaign to educate consumers on the BQA program. The campaign was largely a digital video campaign focusing on cattle are raised.

“Overall things were really positive,” says Darcy. “The top concerns were really seeing how the animals were raised, open pastures and reminders of gentle handling.”

The BQA campaign resulted in positive production perceptions that beef is produced in an environmentally friendly way, raised responsibly and raised by trusted farmers.

For more information, visit BQA.org. _________________________________________________ 1 2

Farm Animal Welfare Council, 1979 Fraser et al 1997

The Code of Cattle Care • • • • • • • • •

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Provide necessary food, water and care to protect the health and well-being of animals.

Provide disease prevention practices to protect herd health, including access to veterinary medical care.

Provide facilities that allow safe, humane, and efficient movement and/or restraint of cattle.

Use appropriate methods to humanely euthanize terminally sick or injured livestock and dispose of them properly.

Provide personnel with training/experience to properly handle and care for cattle.

Make timely observations of cattle to ensure basic needs are being met.

Minimize stress when transporting cattle.

Keep updated on advancements and changes in the industry to make decisions based upon sound production practices and consideration for animal well-being.

Persons who willfully mistreat animals will not be tolerated.

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