High welfare costs less than you think

Consumers are put off buying high-welfare poultry and other foods because they think they are more expensive than they really are.

In a survey to mark Farm Animal Week, 70% of UK adults cited cost as being a reason for not buying more higher welfare food – such as Freedom Food, free-range and organic.

However, according to the RSPCA’s Freedom Food scheme, the actual cost of a basket of higher welfare food can be as little as £5 more than the cost of a non-higher welfare basket containing similar products. Over 40% of those surveyed thought the cost would be £7 more, while 26% thought it would be £15 more.

Celebrity chef and farm animal welfare supporter Antony Worrall Thompson agrees that price perception can be a major barrier to buying higher welfare.

“Good welfare doesn’t always have to cost as much as you might think. A higher welfare chicken, such as Freedom Food, can cost just 86p more than a standard one – that’s less than the price of a lottery ticket – a small price to pay for good farm animal welfare.”

Freedom Food spokesperson, Liam Kurzeja, urged consumers to switch one item in their trolley for a higher welfare alternative during Farm Aninal Week (25 July-31 July).

“Many of us have already stopped buying eggs from hens kept in battery cages, choosing barn or free-range instead. We would like people to go one step further and look for the higher welfare Freedom Food logo on products like pork, chicken and salmon.”