Consumers in emerging markets, like China and India, are paying much greater attention to aspects of imported food production such as environmental quality and animal welfare than previously thought, according to a New Zealand study out Monday.

Research by Lincoln University found 58 percent of Chinese and 55 percent of Indian respondents rated environmental quality as important when buying food, compared with just 29 percent in New Zealand’s traditional export market of Britain.

They also found 42 percent of Chinese and 50 percent of Indians rated animal welfare as very important compared with 34 percent of British respondents.

“As income grows, consumer behavior changes. Product attributes other than price start to play a greater role in consumer decision- making,” Professor of Trade and Environmental Economics Caroline Saunders said in a statement.  READ MORE