Pig Welfare and Consumer Attitudes: Bridging the Gap

Overview of consumer attitudes to pig welfare and strategies for bridging the attitude-behaviour gap.

Key Facts

Consumers report high concern for animal welfare but relatively low purchasing of higher-welfare products
Price is the primary barrier to higher-welfare pork purchasing for most consumers
Welfare labelling increases higher-welfare purchasing when well designed
Information framing and positive messaging are more effective than graphic welfare imagery
Social norms and peer influence affect welfare purchasing behaviour

Welfare Considerations

The gap between consumer attitudes and behaviour is a central challenge in animal welfare advocacy. Most consumers express concern for pig welfare but do not translate this into purchasing choices. Research on consumer psychology identifies price, labelling clarity, and social norms as key intervention points. Positive welfare messaging and simplified labelling increase higher-welfare purchasing more effectively than graphic imagery. Structural interventions including pricing reform and mandatory labelling are needed to close the gap.

What You Can Do

Choose higher-welfare pork products when price difference is affordable
Share positive welfare choices with your social network to influence norms
Advocate for welfare labelling reform that makes welfare status immediately clear to consumers