A Quantitative Study on the Ethical Background of Consumer Evaluation of Sustainable Livestock Production

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K06252
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 41010:Agricultural and food economics-related
• Research Institution: Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Iwamoto Hiroyuki 帯広畜産大学, 畜産学部, 教授 (90377127)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 消費者行動 / 倫理的消費 / 家畜福祉 / 動物倫理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively clarify the decision making strategy which exists in the background of various consumption behavior of agricultural and livestock products by adopting the knowledge of social psychology and applied ethics.
Main research results are following 3 points. First, the WTP of cultured meat is increased by consumers who show "bioethical resistance" to the consumption of livestock products and "environmentally destructive evaluation" of the recognition of adverse effects on the environment. Second, there is a factor structure in decision making strategies for animal welfare similar to the determinants of pro-environmental behavior in social psychology. Third, as a result of quantitative analysis of consumers' consumption background for animal welfare livestock products based on traditional ethical theory, "emphasis on instrumental value," "emphasis on pain reduction" and "emphasis on life-centered value" were found as factors.

Free Research Field

農業経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的な意義として，畜産物消費の背景に存在する心理的な要因について社会心理学および動物福祉の倫理学の観点から定量的に解明を試みた点が挙げられる。少なくとも農業経済学領域においては本研究が初めての成果であり，社会心理学，倫理学の学際的な知見を用いた成果であることの意義も大きい。社会心理学的，倫理学的な接近による成果により，動物福祉に配慮した畜産物が消費者のどのような意識から支持され，または阻害されているのかを定量的に示したことにより，今後の普及啓発に大きな示唆を与える社会的意義がある。