The role of ethical orientation in animal welfare choice behaviour: A segmentation study

New Publication from the mEATquality Project!
📄 The role of ethical orientation in animal welfare choice behaviour: A segmentation study
📚 Published in Food Quality and Preference

As consumers become increasingly conscious of the ethical and environmental impact of their food choices, understanding what drives their decisions is more important than ever.

In this new study, researchers from the mEATquality project surveyed 3,000 consumers across six European countries—🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇩🇪 Germany, 🇪🇸 Spain, 🇵🇱 Poland, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, and 🇮🇹 Italy—to explore how ethical orientation influences meat purchasing behavior.

🔍 Key Findings:

• 🐖 Animal welfare matters: Two-thirds of consumers prefer meat products with animal welfare attributes, especially outdoor access.
• 🧠 Ethical orientation is key: It significantly differentiates consumers’ self-reported purchases of welfare-friendly meat.
• 🌱 Shared values across borders: Despite cultural differences, consumer preferences were remarkably similar across countries.
• 💶 Segmentation insights: Consumers vary in ethical orientation, environmental concern, trust in the food system, and price sensitivity.

This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, producers, and retailers aiming to align meat production with evolving consumer values.

📖 Read the full article here: The role of ethical orientation in animal welfare choice behaviour: A segmentation study