Public understanding of farm animal sentience has grown significantly. Survey data reveals gaps between attitudes, knowledge and food choices that welfare policy must address.
Public attitudes to farm animal welfare are more positive than purchasing behaviour suggests, indicating that attitude-behaviour gaps rather than attitude deficits are the primary challenge for welfare advocates. Most people who consume factory-farmed products express genuine concern for farm animals when asked — the disconnect arises from low information salience at point of purchase, price sensitivity and the psychological distance between abstract concern and concrete purchasing decisions. Welfare labelling, transparency requirements and price incentives for higher-welfare products are policy tools that can close attitude-behaviour gaps by making welfare information salient and accessible at the moment of purchase.