Media Attention to Animal Welfare Has Negative Impact on Meat Demand

As a whole, media attention to animal welfare has significant, negative effects on U.S. meat demand, according to a new analysis by Kansas State University.

The study's results are based on an extensive search of top U.S. newspapers and magazines used to develop indices reflecting public information on animal welfare that U.S. consumers received from 1982 to 2008. These media indices were then incorporated into a meat demand system to estimate the effect of animal welfare information published by U.S. media sources on exercised beef, pork, poultry and non-meat food demand of the typical U.S. consumer for the period 1982-2008.

Although the most direct effects of media attention were primarily associated with pork and poultry demand, researchers stressed that the beef industry is not immune.

"This study found increased media attention caused a reallocation of expenditures to non-meat food rather than reallocating expenditures across competing meat products. Accordingly, all three evaluated livestock and meat industries stand to lose if total meat expenditure is reduced as consumers obtain increasing amounts of media information regarding animal well-being and handling issues," the report states.

The researchers noted that, although this study provides the first assessment of how media attention on animal welfare information influences consumer meat purchases, much additional research is needed.

To view this report in its entirety, go to www.agmanager.info/livestock/marketing/AnimalWelfare/MF2951.pdf.

Reprinted in part from American Meat Institute