ANIMAL WELFARE
TRANSPARENCY & TRACEABILITY
Farm animal well-being is important to
meat & seafood consumers1
65%
of consumers consider information about farm animal well-being and care practices extremely/valuable including veterinary oversight and health monitoring – almost as valuable as nutrition information
Rising Interest
40% of consumers report their interest in knowing more about how meat or seafood was raised, handled and transported has increased in the last year
Animal welfare practices are a high priority when putting meat & seafood in the grocery cart
What matters most:
Percent of consumers who rate these animal care practices as extremely or very important when deciding what meat or seafood to purchase:
Farm animals’ access to veterinary care, vaccinations & treatment
Overall farm animal nutrition, comfort, care & handling
Animal housing, adequate space to express natural behaviors
Verification of farm practices by food processors & brands
Raising animals in ways that sustain our environment
Transportation & care to minimize animal stress
Women place a higher priority than men on animal welfare practices.
Women also find traceability benefits significantly more valuable than men in every category
% Extremely or Very Valuable
Ensuring Product Quality
Tracking how farm animals are fed, housed and raised to improve product quality
74% Women | 61% Men
Verification of label information and claims
74% Women | 61% Men
Validating Animal Welfare Claims
Tracking detailed information about animal care and farm practices from individual animals and farms
74% Women | 61% Men
Farm-to-table traceability & smart technology to monitor animal health positively impact consumer confidence
Percent of consumers reporting increased confidence
Farm-to-table traceability that verifies farm origin, product quality, animal care, environmental and other claims
Farmers use of smart technology to monitor each animal’s health 24/7, resulting in early intervention and better overall animal and herd health
Technology is used to increase transparency about how meat and seafood are grown and raised, tracking information to individual animal/farm
Farm animals are vaccinated to prevent illness, resulting in healthier animals to help sustain our environment and reduce the need for antibiotics
Detailed farm practice information resonates the most with younger audiences, ages 18-34.
Certain transparency & traceability information is more likely to INCREASE CONFIDENCE in women than men
71%
of women find farm animal well-being and care practices, including veterinary oversight, extremely or very valuable vs. 59% of men
64%
of women find technology used to increase transparency about how meat and seafood are grown and raised extremely or very valuable vs. 54% of men
Transparency + Traceability = Trust
Animal Welfare Transparency & Traceability
References
1Merck Animal Health. Research on file. U.S. Consumer Transparency and Traceability Omnibus Research Series. September 2024.