Consumer Preferences for and Perceptions of Farm Animal Welfare: A Nationwide Telephone Survey

1. Consumer Preferences for and Perceptions of Farm Animal Welfare: A Nationwide Telephone Survey • General Survey Description • 1,019 total responses • Collected June-July 2007 • Phone survey was designed by the Department of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University and administered by the Oklahoma Bureau for Social Research

2. The following two slides show the relative importance of various social issues to individuals. Each issue is given a score, where all the scores sum to one. The scores show the relative importance of each issue. In the example below, Issue A is twice as important as Issue B or Issue C, whereas Issues B and C are equally important.

3. Which of the following issues facing society are you most concerned with?

4. In your opinion, which issue is most important for raising farm animals?

5. For each of the following statements, do you strongly agree? agree? neither agree nor disagree? disagree? strongly disagree?

6. It is important to me that animals on farms are well cared for.

7. The average American thinks that farm animal welfare is important.

8. I consider the well-being of farm animals when I make decisions about purchasing meat.

9. I consider the well-being of farm animals when I make decisions about purchasing meat (weighted by gender).

10. The average American considers the well-being of farm animals when they make decisions about purchasing meat.

11. Low meat prices are more important than the well-being of farm animals.

12. Low meat prices are more important than the well-being of farm animals (weighted by gender).

13. The average American thinks that low meat prices are more important than the well-being of farm animals.

14. Animals raised under higher standards of care will produce safer and better tasting meat

15. Scientific measures of animal well-being should be used to determine how farm animals are treated, not moral or ethical considerations.

16. Until we learn to significantly reduce human suffering, we should not worry about the well-being of farm animals.

17. Food companies that require farmers to treat their animals better are doing the right thing.

18. Food companies that require farmers to treat their animals better, no matter what it costs farmers, are doing the right thing.

19. My personal food choices have a large impact on the well-being of farm animals.

20. Farm animals have roughly the same ability to feel pain and discomfort as humans.

21. The government should take an active role in promoting farm animal welfare.

22. Food companies would voluntarily improve animal welfare, and would advertise as such, if people really wanted it.

23. Farmers and food companies put their own profits ahead of treating farm animals humanely.

24. Housing chickens in cages is humane.

25. Housing pregnant sows in crates is humane.

26. Housing pregnant sows in crates for their protection from other hogs is humane.

27. Decisions about animal welfare should be left to experts, and should not be based on public opinion.

28. Farm animals raised on small farms have a better life than those raised on large farms.

29. Farm animals raised on small farms have a better life than those raised on corporate farms.

30. If food companies improve animal welfare standards the price of meat will rise.

31. If food companies improve animal welfare standards the price of meat will fall.

32. I would vote for a law in my state that would require farmers to treat their animals more humanely.

33. Farmers should be compensated if forced to comply with higher farm animal welfare standards.

34. If a new technology were created that could either eliminate the suffering of 1 human or the suffering of X farm animals, it should be used to eliminate the suffering of the 1 human.

35. About the Respondents • 35% male, 65% female • 87% of respondents were the main household food purchaser. • 6% did not eat meat in the past week. Of these, 44% were vegetarians and 16% were vegans. Thus, vegans are 0.96% of the population. Of the 6% who did not eat meat in the past week, 52% believed eating meat is cruel to animals and 84% believed a vegetarian diet is healthier. • 62% owned a pet. • 56% had High School Diploma but no Bachelor’s Degree • 39% had a Bachelor’s Degree or better • 83% White, 9% African American, 3% Hispanic • 81% Christian, 2% Jewish, <1% Muslim, 1% Mormon, 2.72% Agnostic or Atheist • 28% Republican, 33% Democrat, 25% Independent, 4% other • 73% voted in the 2006 mid-term elections

36. Respondents’ Household Size and Age

37. Total Household Income Before Taxes of Survey Respondents 820 Responses

38. Location of Respondents