Annabell Franz

Concerns about animal welfare: a cluster analysis of German pig farmers

– The Federal Government of Germany, as well as the European Commission, are discussing the enhancement of animal welfare requirements. This study aims to explore different groups of conventional German pig farmers with respect to their understanding of animal welfare. Based on the results, a target group is determined that is willing to take part in an animal welfare programme in accordance with the current state of research, i.e. considering the four “Welfare Quality” principles: good housing, good feeding, good health and especially appropriate behaviour., – Data were collected from 160 German pig farmers between March and May 2010 using an online questionnaire. Data analysis combines two quantitative methods. To reduce complexity and to identify the animal welfare perceptions of the farmers first an explorative factor analysis was conducted. Subsequently, based on the determined factors, the sample was divided into different groups by means of a cluster analysis., – Three groups of pig farmers were defined with regard to the establishment of an animal welfare programme according to the current state of research. While a broad acceptance of the principles good housing, good feeding and good health exists among the farmers, the appropriate animal behaviour is only important for a small group of pig farmers. Therefore, the three groups should be addressed by the developers of an animal welfare programme, using different strategies to gain the support of all farmers., – To successfully introduce new animal welfare requirements, farmers are important actors to take into account. This paper is the first analysis of the animal welfare perceptions of conventionally producing German pig farmers and determines different groups for a comprehensive animal welfare husbandry system as currently discussed by scientists and politics.

Multi-level labelling: too complex for consumers?

For many consumers, sustainability attributes are a relevant consideration concerning the purchase decision. However, as more food labels enter the retail market it is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to evaluate the underlying meaning of these labels. The most common labels communicating sustainable values tend to be binary. However, many attributes, such as animal welfare, are of a continuous nature. One solution to communicate differentiated information about process or product standards is by using multi-level labels, which indicate various levels of standards. However, while multi-level labels may help consumers realize the differences in production or process qualities, they may also cause confusion since they convey more complex information. Therefore, the impact of multi-level labels on consumers’ comprehension remains unclear. The primary objective of this paper is to test whether consumers can easily comprehend a multi-level labelling approach by using the case of animal welfare standards. This paper will also assess whether a multi-level label could be an effective tool to communicate information about standards and enhance consumers’ willingness to pay. The results show that when an explanation about the levels of the label is provided, there is an increasing willingness to pay for products with higher standards. Hence, a multi-level label can work if information is provided and is thus an adequate tool to communicate sustainable and ethical values.