Comparing consumer preferences for sustainable dairy activities among countries

This study measures consumer preferences for 11 sustainable dairy activities and examines the differences in preferences among five countries: the UK, the Netherlands, France, Italy, and Japan. A case 1 best–worst scaling is used to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions, fertilizer application, soil management, water management, biodiversity, working environment, animal care, wastes, market development, rural communities, and product safety and quality. Consumers across countries have diverse preferences for sustainable dairy farming activities, which may be related to the COVID-19 pandemic and social attention toward the environment and agriculture. Preferential differences for some activities were also revealed by gender and age. When discussing the priorities of some activities, conflicts between gender and generations could arise. Information on consumer preference can help various stakeholders discuss how to improve the sustainability of the dairy sector.