Farm Animal Welfare in Europe

Despite the existence of far-reaching literature onthe problem of measuring farm animal welfare (FAW)from both a scientific and a philosophicalperspective there are still few studies tackling itseconomic aspects. In this book consumers'willingness to pay (WTP) and heterogeneity ofpreferences for certified animal-friendly products(CAFPs) were estimated by employing stated preferencemethods. However since FAW is an emotional topicwhich can affect consumers purchasing decisionsthrough aspects involving psychological componentsthis hypothesis was explored combining the theory ofplanned behaviour with stated choice methods. Toreach this objective a survey was administered inFrance Germany Italy Spain and UK. Findings show cross-cultural differences in terms oftrust toward stakeholders operating along thelivestock chain and that the components of plannedbehaviour play a role both in WTP for CAFPs and indetermining heterogeneity of preferences. Thus itappears that the marriage between psychology andeconomics can open up new avenues of research notonly for WTP and preferences for CAFPs but also toother food choice contexts.