How much do people care about pig welfare, and how much will they pay for it?

This chapter describes the development and nature of public and consumer concerns about pig welfare and the various initiatives by which people try to improve pig welfare. First, the origins of the modern idea of animal welfare are traced. The chapter then looks at the use of national and international law to raise farm animal welfare standards. After this, various market-driven initiatives to move welfare above the legally required minimum are described. Using the so-called ‘Benchmark method’ the relative importance of legislation and market-driven initiatives for enhancing animal welfare is assessed. Finally, the ways in which consumers in different parts of the world perceive pig welfare and how much they are willing to pay for it are then reviewed.