Emerging market for pork with animal welfare attribute in China: An ethical perspective

There is growing public concern about the welfare of farm animals, and farm animal welfare can be considered an ethical attribute of product quality. This paper elicits consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for animal welfare attributes in pork products using a choice experiment (CE) in China. Consumers are willing to pay a premium of 13.923 to 18.493 CNY/500 g for more desirable product attributes in terms of animal welfare, branding, humane slaughter, and environmental friendliness. There is a complementary relationship between ethical morality in public policy and animal welfare farming. The findings of the study contribute to an increasing understanding of consumer preferences for animal-friendly products in emerging countries. A wide range of relevant, practical initiatives to help promote animal welfare development are needed in China, by strengthening the education of ecological ethics and animal welfare ideology, establishing an animal welfare security system by global standards, and optimising contractual arrangements for the value chain of animal-friendly products.