U.S. Consumers Value Farm Animal Welfare Above Environmental Sustainability in Egg Purchasing Trade-offs

While research examining trade-offs between farm animal welfare (FAW) and environmental sustainability in agricultural systems is increasing, there is limited understanding of consumer responses to these explicit trade-offs. The central aim of this study was to investigate the relative importance of farm animal welfare (FAW) and environmental sustainability in U.S. consumer purchasing decisions. We conducted a survey of 1,200 U.S. residents that combined attitudinal questions with a series of choice experiments involving egg purchasing scenarios. Participants chose between products with varying FAW, sustainability, and price attributes. Statistical analyses, including Chi-square, ANOVA, and ordinal logistic regression modelling, were used to evaluate preferences, associations, and willingness to pay. The findings consistently reveal that while consumers value both attributes, they prioritize FAW over sustainability in direct trade-offs, with a majority selecting higher-welfare eggs over more environmentally sustainable options. Moreover, our analysis revealed consistent attitudes across key demographic groups, finding no significant difference in the preference for FAW over sustainability across income groups, political parties, or regions of the country. While willingness to pay for these attributes showed no significant difference across income or region, it did vary significantly by political party, with right-wing respondents being less willing than left-wing respondents to pay a premium for higher FAW. However, a majority of even the most right-wing respondents chose to pay more for higher FAW. Despite some consumer ambivalence, our primary finding is that a majority of consumers are not willing to compromise on FAW for sustainability benefits.