ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we review a considerable body of empirical research (both published and new), with the aim of producing a well-founded, up-to-date, in-depth analysis of the nature and extent of consumer demand for ethically improved animal production systems and derived foods.
In this chapter, we will first show that consumers do not differentiate well between animal production systems with different ethical standards. Second, we see that when positive differentiation takes place, it is because the system is perceived to impact individual consumption benefits positively. Third, we point out that consumers’ preference and willingness to pay for foods of animal origin is driven by habit and hedonic preference, not ethical considerations. Fourth, we explain why consumers’ stated preferences for ethically improved foods of animal origin almost always lead to an overestimation of true demand. Fifth, and finally, we reveal that consumers are willing to pay a premium for ethically improved foods only when consumption is perceived to lower personal health risks.
