Chewing it over Public attitudes to alternative proteins and meat reduction

The first, published in May, explored the current state of animal welfare in food production in the UK.18 It concluded that the most practical and tractable way to think about animal welfare is to identify factory farming – the use of highly intensive methods – with lower welfare. [...] A 2022 survey found that 74% of British people admit to not knowing anything about industrial meat production, the highest proportion of any of the five countries in which the research was conducted (Brazil, Germany, France and the USA).20 When Britons were asked about their understanding of specific practices with regards to the treatment of chickens and cows, approximately 47% of respondents adm. [...] In multiple focus groups, participants spontaneously reached the conclusion that, instead of talking around the problem, the best and most direct way of addressing animal suffering in the food system would be to outlaw ‘factory farming’: v The numbers in the graph do not add to 100 because of rounding. [...] So people who can't afford to and only go and buy the cheaper cuts of meat, if they abolish the factory farming and then subsidise people … Help them buy the more expensive meat.”– Animal Sympathiser These views are consistent with the findings of our survey, in which 66% of meat eaters said that they would be willing to pay more for meat that is higher welfare. [...] In reality, the majority of UK farmed animals, especially chickens and pigs, are on factory farms,129 and are regularly subjected to conditions and mutilations that the vast majority of Brits find unacceptable.130 Animal Sympathisers and the ‘No Strong Views’ group are most likely to avoid thinking about farmed animal welfare While Meat Lovers and Animal Lovers had the strongest views about most m.