Determinants of pig farmers’ participation in an animal welfare program

Abstract

This study investigates farmers’ willingness to participate in an animal welfare program which comprises a mandatory set of animal welfare measures. We use data from a survey among members of a Northern German pig farmer cooperative. With Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a theoretical framework we particularly analyze how single animal welfare measures influence farmers’ willingness to participate. The study is also innovative in the measurement of willingness to participate. Three groups of farmers are identified, namely, the “refusing” the “undecided” and the “acquiescing”. The multinomial logit regression shows that while the refusing group is significantly more negative than the undecided about at least three of the eight required measures, the acquiescing group does not significantly differ from the undecided with respect to evaluation of measures. Rather, they exhibit a tendency to be more proactive, while the undecided feel more like being victims of societal pressure. We conclude that it will be crucial to work on farmers’ beliefs, with respect to feasibility as well as with respect to perceived locus of control.