Farm Animal Welfare, Consumer Willingness to Pay, and Trust: Results of a Cross-National Survey
Posted: 17 May 2010
Abstract
Higher animal welfare standards increase costs along the supply chain of certified animal-friendly products (AFP). Since the market outcome of certified AFP depends on consumer confidence toward supply chain operators complying with these standards, the role of trust in consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for AFP is paramount. Results from a contingent valuation survey administered in five European Union countries show that WTP estimates were sensitive to robust measures of consumer trust for certified AFP. Deriving the WTP effect of a single food category on total food expenditure is difficult for survey respondents; hence, a budget approach was employed to facilitate this process.
Keywords: Animal welfare, certification, consumer trust, WTP, budget approach
JEL Classification: C81, Q13, Q18
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation