Human and Animal Sensitivity: How Stock-People and Consumer Perception Can Affect Animal Welfare

Abstract

This book presents cross-discipline studies covering aspects ranging from animal science to social/consumer sciences and psychology, with the aim to collect and disseminate information promoting the continuous enhancement of animal welfare by improving stakeholders’ perception of animal welfare. Although animal welfare is about how the animals perceive the surrounding environment, the actual welfare of the animals is dependent on how the stakeholders perceive and weigh animal welfare. The stakeholders can, either directly (i.e., through stock-people interaction with the animals) or indirectly (e.g., when retailers and consumers are willing to pay more for high welfare animal-based products), affect the way animals are kept and handled.