Welfare Science

Pig Welfare and Farm Animal Welfare Economics

The economics of farm animal welfare matter - understanding costs and benefits helps advocates make the case for welfare investment.

Key Facts

Welfare improvements on average add 3-8% to production costs in intensive pig systems
Consumers consistently state willingness to pay 10-20% more for certified welfare products
Reduced antibiotic use from better welfare saves the industry millions annually in treatment costs
Welfare certification enhances brand value and market access in premium markets
Health and welfare improvements reduce mortality and treatment costs that offset investment

Welfare Considerations

Welfare improvements are often economically viable and can be argued on business grounds as well as ethical ones. Economic arguments complement ethical ones in persuading producers to improve.

What You Can Do

Support economic research on pig welfare business cases
Use economic arguments alongside ethical ones in welfare advocacy
Choose certified welfare products to demonstrate that welfare markets pay