The animal welfare cost of meat: evidence from a survey of hypothetical scenarios among Belgian consumers

ABSTRACT A survey in Belgium with hypothetical scenarios concerning willingness to pay to avoid the experiences of farm animals is used to estimate the animal welfare costs of meat production. Most participants indicate that farm animals have lives not worth living. The median estimate of the animal welfare cost of chicken meat is 10 euro/kg, whereas its mean estimate is several orders of magnitude higher. The animal welfare costs of meat are likely much larger than the consumer utility of meat consumption, the consumer willingness to pay for higher animal welfare meat and the climate/environmental costs of meat. A demand shift from beef to chicken meat due to misaligned consumer concerns for animal welfare or a carbon tax on meat, could possibly increase animal welfare costs and decrease the non-anthropocentric social welfare function. Consumers could prioritize lowering chicken meat consumption and governments could implement a flat tax on meat.