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More consumers want “humanely raised”

While the American Humane Association is probably best known for the “No animals were harmed” disclaimer at the end of movies and TV shows, the Association also has the American Humane Certified program for animal agriculture.

In a recent survey of consumers, more than 5,900 respondents expressed their increasing support for humanely-raised livestock. The 2014 Humane Heartland Farm Animal Welfare Survey found nearly 95 percent of respondents were very concerned about farm animal welfare.  That compares to 89 percent in the 2013 survey.

Nearly 76 percent said they were willing to pay more for humanely raised products and 69 percent said Humanely Raised was the most important statement on a label, outranking antibiotic-free, natural and organic.

The biggest reason given for not buying humanely-raised products was that they were not available.