Impact of Media Attention to Animal Welfare

[Animal 0]

Reinforces the importance and effectiveness of media attention to farm animal
welfare issues.

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/20917/study-impact-of-media-attention-\
to-animal-welfare

Study: Impact of Media Attention to Animal Welfare
US - As a whole, media attention to animal welfare has significant, negative
effects on US meat demand, according to a new analysis by Kansas State
University.


The study's results are based on an extensive search of top US newspapers and
magazines used to develop indices reflecting public information on animal
welfare that US 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 US media sources on exercised beef, pork,
poultry and non-meat food demand of the typical US 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 nonmeat food rather than reallocating expenditure 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.

"This study supports this and related evaluations to improve the understanding
of how increasing pressure to adjust on-farm practices to reflect societal
pressures regarding animal well-being is economically impacting market
participants throughout the livestock and meat-supply chain," the report
concludes.

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Debra Probert
Executive Director
Vancouver Humane Society
303 - 8623 Granville Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6P 5A2
604-266-9744
www.vancouverhumanesociety.bc.ca