Transcript Consumers Attitudes About Animal Welfare 2004 National Public Opinion Survey April 5, 2004

Consumers Attitudes About Animal Welfare
2004 National Public Opinion Survey
April 5, 2004
The Animal Agriculture Alliance, a
501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, is a
broad-based coalition of individual
producers, producer organizations,
private industry, packer-processors
and retailers, whose mission is to
support and promote animal
agriculture practices that provide for
farm animal well-being through sound
science and public information. The
Alliance supports the use of sciencebased behavioral, physiological,
biochemical and pathological criteria
in judging the health and well-being of
animals raised for food.
The National Corn Growers Association mission is to
create opportunities for corn growers in a changing world
and to enhance corn’s profitability and usage. NCGA
represents more than 33,000 members, 25 affiliated state
corn grower organizations and hundreds of thousands of
growers who contribute to state checkoff programs.
Survey Method & Key Demographics
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Survey Conducted Online - Total Respondents: 1,002
37% Male, 63% Female
Residence: 26% Urban; 47% Suburban; 23% Rural;
4% Unsure
67% Married/Living w/Partner; 21% Single; 11%
divorced/ widowed; 1% prefer not to say
58% No children; 37% 1-2 children; 5% 3 or more
children
72% Some college or College Graduate; 16% High
School Graduate; 12% Post Graduate
70% - Household Income $25,000 -$99,000
69% Caucasian; 15% African American; 9% Hispanic;
4% Mixed/Other; 2% Asian; 1% Native American
Shopping Role
• More than nine in ten respondents in the study have
some role in the food shopping for the household –
three in five are the primary shopper.
Someone Else
is Primary
7%
Share the
Shopping
31%
Q: Which of the following categories best describes your role in the food shopping for your household?
Base: Total Sample (n=1002)
Primary Shopper
62%
Farm Life Experience
• About one-quarter of respondents have lived or worked
on a farm for a month or longer.
Yes
27%
No
73%
Q: Have you ever lived or worked on a farm or ranch for more than a month?
Base: Total Sample (n=1002)
Interest Areas
• Health care or medical discoveries is the primary
interest area followed by food and nutrition.
% Top Two Interests
Health care or New Medical
Discoveries
68
58
Food and Nutrition Issues
Economic or Business Issues
48
Environmental Issues
47
28
Agricultural or Farm Issues
0%
50%
100%
Q. Thinking about current issues, how interested are you in each of the following issue areas? Please rate the areas using a scale from 1 to 7 where 1
means not interested at all and 7 means extremely interested. How interested are you in…?
Base: Total Sample (n=1002)
Favorable View of Groups
• Teachers and veterinarians are the most favorably
viewed groups.
% Ranking Extremely or Very Favorable
66
School teachers
56
Veterinarians
Physicians
50
Farmers and Ranchers
48
36
Clergy
32
The Food and Drug Administration
Food Retailers and Restaurant Managers
28
Beef, Pork, Dairy and Poultry Processors
28
Environmentalists
27
U.S. Department of Agriculture
25
18
Animal Rights Activists
The Media
Large Corporate Farms
12
12
Trial Lawyers
9
Groups Active in Opposing Use of Animals for Food
9
0%
50 %
Q: Thinking about various groups and industries in the U.S., how favorably do you view each of the following groups? Please rate the groups and
industries using a scale from 1 to 7 where 1 means not favorable at all and 7 means extremely favorable. How favorably do you view…?
Base: Total Sample (n=1002)
100%
View of Farmers and Ranchers
• View of farmers is similar across all issues
% in agreement
They do a good job of producing
healthy food at reasonable prices
84
84
They are concerned about food safety
They are concerned about the well
being of their animals
81
76
They care about the environment
50
%
Q: Thinking about farmers and ranchers in the U.S., how descriptive is each of the following statements of them? Please rate the statements using a scale
from 1 to 7 where 1 means not descriptive at all of U.S. farmers and ranchers and 7 means extremely descriptive. How descriptive is…?
Base: Total Sample (n=1002)
100
%
Advocate Believability
Treatment of Farm Animals
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
94
87
84
74
55
1998
2004
35
29
23
Farm Vet Rancher
Animal
Activists
Actor
23
Politician
Advocate Believability
Food Quality and Safety
A family physician and a dietician are the most believable
advocates for food quality and safety
94 88
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
92 87
71
64
55
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on
su
m
er
Fa
m
23
ns
s
Po
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i
cia
or
A
ct
G
ro
te
ca
A
dv
o
ily
D
ie
Ph
ys
ic
tic
i
an
ia
n
up
26
1998
2004
Meat Consumption
• Nearly two thirds of respondents report eating about the
same amount of meat compared to 1 year ago.
A lot more
A lot less
4% A little more
10%
5%
A little less
17%
About the same
64%
Q: How would you characterize the approach that you and your family are taking regarding the amount of meat you are consuming compared to a year ago?
Would say you are…?
Base: Total Sample (n=1002)
Willingness to Pay More
For ‘Humanely Raised’ Food
• Three in ten say they are willing to pay 5% more, only one
in ten 20% more.
Cumulative Percentage
100
% Cumulative
willingness to pay
more
50
31
23
11
0
5%
10%
20%
Premium Level
Q: Would you be willing to pay ___ more for food that is labeled ‘humanely raised’?
Base: Total Sample (n=1002)
Source: 2004 Alliance Survey
Willingness to Pay More for “Humanely
Raised” Labeled Food
60
51
50
44
40
31
1993
1998
2004
27
30
20
20
23
11
10
10
6
0
5%
10%
20%
Source: Surveys by the Alliance
Attitude Statement Agreement
• Respondents strongly believe that their choices shouldn’t
be dictated to by activists – very few support animals
having the same rights as humans.
% Agree Strongly or Somewhat
Consumers should have the right to choose what they eat
and not be dictated to by a small minority of activists
86
While it is important to be concerned about how farm
animals are raised, there is nothing wrong with raising
animals solely for food purposes
79
52
Farmers and ranchers treat their animals well routinely
Scientists should be free to use science and genetics to
breed farm animals to be resistant to bacteria that can
cause human illness
47
Animals have the same rights as human beings
23
0%
50 %
Q: Please tell me how much you agree with each of the following statements. (SHOW STATEMENTS) Would you say you…?
Base: Total Sample (n=1002)
100%
Change in Attitudes
95
94
90
90
86
85
80
79
75
70
Consumers should
Nothing wrong with
have the right to
raising animals solely
choose what they eat
for food purposes
1998
2004
Influence of Animal Rights Groups
• The activities of animal rights groups have little
influence on respondents food choices.
34
19
0%
Extremely influential
Not very influential
31
39
50%
Very influential
Not at all influential
4
100%
Somewhat influential
Unsure
Q:. How influential are the activities and/or advertisements of animal rights groups on your decisions about what products to buy? Would you say…?
Base: Total Sample (n=1002)
However, It is Important to Remember….
• Less than 2% of the U.S. Population is Involved in
Production Agriculture
• Growing Population Disconnected from Farm
• Vegetarian/Anti-Animal Use Activists Funds & Campaigns
Continue to Grow – Trying to Influence the Public
•Animal Rights Activists and Animal Rights Terrorists
•Environmental Activists and Environmental Rights Terrorists
•Efforts to Give Animals Legal Rights Equal to Humans
•Campaigns Misrepresenting Individuals/Companies in Agriculture, Research and
Other Animal Use Industries
•Consumer Scare Campaigns - Food Safety and Nutrition/Health
•Misrepresentation of Modern Animal Production Practices As Inferior or Less
Humane
•Legislative Campaigns/Initiatives Pushing To Inhibit/Ban Agricultural Businesses
•Campaigns to Try to Persuade Children That Eating Meat is Bad/Inhumane
Conclusions & Recommendations
• Healthcare/new medical discoveries and food & nutrition
issues are the issues of most relevance today
– Communications should demonstrate how Agriculture impacts these issues
• People in certain professions more than organizations are
viewed as credible sources
– Veterinarians, physicians, dieticians, teachers, farmers and ranchers create
relevance and are most believable on issues
• It is believed that farmers do impact and have a strong role
in healthy and cost effective food production
– Farmers’ social responsibility relevant to caring about their animals and food
safety should be reinforced
• Meat consumption is increasing for some and decreasing
for others
– There are health and dietary advantages of meat
Conclusions & Recommendations (cont’d)
• Consumer choice in what to eat is considered an
important right
– The freedom of choice allowed by the sound science of farm animal well-being
should be continuously communicated
• There is openness to genetic enhancements
– Education about the value of genetic enhancements relative to consumer choice,
food production and health needs to continue