Households across the UK would accept adding more than a pound a week to their food bills to guarantee better living conditions for farm animals, according to new research involving Queen’s University Belfast.

A survey of 3,013 people in September and October 2024 found that two-thirds allow animal welfare concerns to guide their shopping choices. Most respondents said they believed meat, milk and eggs from higher-welfare systems are healthier, taste better and have a smaller environmental impact.

When presented with specific policy scenarios, participants indicated they would pay roughly £1.61 extra per week for eggs from free-range rather than colony cages, and the same amount to ban farrowing crates in pork production. Smaller premiums were acceptable for other improvements: £1.13 weekly to reduce lameness in dairy cattle, £0.21 to ensure pain relief for lamb castration, and £0.46 to cut lameness among beef cattle.

The findings, published in the journal Food Policy, are already being used by the UK government to weigh the costs and benefits of possible welfare reforms. Queen’s academics Professor Niamh O’Connell and Professor Gareth Arnott contributed expertise in animal welfare science to the project, which was led by the University of Reading.

Professor Arnott noted that the research offered a timely, evidence-based way to assess both the welfare and economic outcomes of policy changes. The study’s lead, Professor Richard Bennett of Reading, said the results demonstrate that support for better farm animal welfare has persisted despite recent food price rises and cost-of-living pressures.

Thirteen animal welfare scientists and vets used a scoring system—covering food and water, housing, health and the freedom to express natural behaviour—to quantify differences between current and improved farming practices before shoppers were asked about their willingness to pay. The researchers say the tool can be adapted for use in other countries and production systems.

The study also involved the Royal Veterinary College, the University of Liverpool, Newcastle University, University College Dublin and Scotland’s Rural College.