Public attitudes toward dairy farm practices and technology related to milk production

Abstract

Dairy farm systems have intensified to meet growing demands for animal products, but public opposition to this intensification has also grown due, in part, to concerns about animal welfare. One approach to addressing challenges in agricultural systems has been through the addition of new technologies, including genetic modification. Previous studies have reported some public resistance towards the use of these technologies in agriculture, but this research has assessed public attitudes toward individual practices and technologies and few studies have examined a range of practices on dairy farms. In the present study, we presented participants with four scenarios describing dairy practices (cow-calf separation, the fate of excess dairy calves, pasture access and disbudding). Citizens from Canada and the United States (n = 650) indicated their support (on a 7-point scale) toward five approaches (maintaining standard farm practice, using a naturalistic approach, using a technological approach, or switching to plant-based or yeast-based milk production) aimed at addressing the welfare issues associated with the four dairy practices. Respondents also provided a text-based rationale for their responses and answered a series of demographic questions including age, gender, and diet. Participant diet affected attitudes toward milk alternatives, with vegetarians and vegans showing more support for the plant-based and yeast-based milk production. Regardless of diet, most participants opposed genetic modification technologies and supported more naturalistic practices. Qualitative responses provided insight into participants’ values and concerns, and illustrated a variety of perceived benefits and concerns related to the options presented. Common themes included animal welfare, ethics of animal use, and opposition toward technology. We conclude that Canadian and US citizens consider multiple aspects of farm systems when contemplating animal welfare concerns, and tend to favor naturalistic approaches over technological solutions, especially when the latter are based on genetic modification.

Factors influencing Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare

“…(1) Farm animal raising experience: Boogaard et al ( 2006 ) and Kupsala et al ( 2015 ) both found that the attitude toward farm animal welfare of individuals who have raised farm animals was more positive than that of those who have not. (2) Food consumption habit: Vegetarians were found to express more welfare concerns regarding farm animal practices (Ostovic et al, 2017 ; Ly et al, 2021 ). (3) Attention to farm animal welfare events or reports: Sinclair et al ( 2018 ) found that negative media reports would induce negative emotions of the public, and Clark et al ( 2016 ) also found that the attitudes of those who expressed more concern toward farm animal welfare were more positive.…”

Developing ‘Smart’ Dairy Farming Responsive to Farmers and Consumer-Citizens: A Review

“…Interestingly they also found that when consumers in both countries were presented with 22 different arguments for and against early and late separation, there was a decline in the numbers favouring early separation, an increase in the unsure responses and a decline in the responses at the extreme end of the scale for later separation. Consumer cited responses in favour of early cow-calf separation include welfare benefits in research undertaken in the US and Canada "I think farmers should separate the calves from the mothers not only for the calves' safety but so the mother can rest" (P930-CR) [17].…”

“…Another complementary option is to draw on the work of researchers in the behavioral sciences to use "bottom-up" approaches to change practices in industry [16], and to engage with stakeholders to clearly identify and address any potential unintended consequences as early as possible. A third option is to draw on advances in science and technology [17], including nature-based solutions, in an attempt to eliminate potential trade-offs. It is highly likely that responses to the call for food system transformation, particularly in the current context of the urgent need to address climate change, will lead to a new era of disruption and transformation in the agricultural sector, with significant consequences for the role of dairy farming, and the foods that consumers are willing to purchase.…”