Consumer Preferences for Animal Welfare in China: Optimization of Pork Production-Marketing Chains

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In this study, consumer preferences for pork produced using animal-welfare-enhancing farming strategies were assessed. In China, the demand for animal-friendly products is increasing, but so far, studies on consumer preferences for animal welfare farming attributes are limited. The objective of this study was to analyze consumer preferences for pork based on four animal welfare farming attributes, namely feed nutrition, living environment, health care, and activity space. The study employed a choice experiment approach. The survey covered 1274 pork consumers in Guangdong province, China. Our empirical results suggest that Chinese consumers were willing to pay an additional 2.359–10.477 CNY/500 g (5.27–23.39%) for animal welfare pork. Furthermore, there was significant heterogeneity in consumer preferences. China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pork. Since the outbreaks of African swine fever in 2018, China’s pork imports have been constantly on the rise. The results can contribute to the optimization of pork production structures and marketing plans for stakeholders and can assist with the timely development of international competition strategies for animal-derived trade products. ABSTRACT: Consumption demands for pork produced by farms that employ strategies to improve animal welfare (“animal welfare pork”) will be an important indicator for predicting domestic pig feeding standards and pork industry development. This paper analyzes consumer preferences for animal welfare pork based on the choice experiment data of 1274 pork consumers in Guangdong province, China. The results show that consumers had a significant preference for animal welfare pork and that they were willing to pay a premium of 2.359–10.477 CNY/500 g (5.27–23.39%) on average. There is heterogeneity in consumer preferences regarding age, education level, and income. Producers of animal-derived products can not only adjust the mix of production conditions to improve pig welfare and innovate contractual arrangements for industry chain stakeholder groups, but they can also develop differentiated marketing strategies for animal welfare products to meet consumer demands for animal welfare.