Chinese Consumers' Attitudes Toward Animal Welfare: Behaviors, Beliefs, And Responses To Messaging

Although China’s per capita meat consumption is lower than most wealthier, Western countries (Ritchie Roser, 2017), the country’s size and rapid growth of its meat industry means that it houses and slaughters more farmed animals than any other country in the world (Faunalytics, 2022). Despite this, animal welfare remains a relatively fringe issue in China. Because of the scale of China’s agriculture industry, even small changes have the potential for an outsized effect. For this reason, this research uses semi-structured focus groups to understand Chinese consumers' attitudes toward animal welfare with the goal of addressing how to improve outcomes for farmed animals in China. After identifying key findings that include, for example, how Chinese consumers link food quality and higher animal welfare, this report concludes with a variety of recommendations for advocates, alternative protein companies, and researchers, outlining how to navigate these key findings to best mobilize positive change for farmed animals in China.