Consumer interest in livestock production methods is growing. To a lot of livestock producers, it probably looks like society is becoming overly meddlesome. Consumers seem to think they ought to write the rules for how animals are managed. At the very least they want to make sure animal welfare concerns are addressed……
Thus far, society’s action in the name of animal welfare has focused primarily on swine and laying hens. Interestingly, however, survey results showed beef cattle actually ranked higher, on average, relative to consumer concern for the welfare of livestock. Tonsor says studies also show consumer concern is not limited to certain parts of the country, nor is the level of concern related to age, education or income level. People are influenced by information — not all of which is accurate — and perceptions of information accuracy depend on the source.
“Perceptions of the credibility of livestock groups versus that of consumer groups are critical drivers of (ballot initiative) voting behavior,” states Tonsor.