Chang Min-Yen, Chao Ching-Tzu, Chen Han-Shen
Department of Accounting, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China.
Department of Health Industry Technology Management, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung 40201, Taiwan.
Foods. 2023 Sep 2;12(17):3310. doi: 10.3390/foods12173310.
Recently, interest in animal welfare has steadily increased, driven by a growing focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. This trend aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. This underscores the importance of comprehending consumer attitudes towards products that are respectful to animal welfare. This research aims to employ the Value-Attitude-Behavior (VAB) model as a theoretical basis to explore the behavioral intentions of Taiwanese consumers to buy cage-free eggs. To provide comprehensive insights into consumer behavior in this domain, the study examines key variables such as 'human-nature connectedness', 'trust in labels', and 'attitude towards animal welfare'. By addressing an existing research gap in the literature and exploring consumer behavior in relation to animal welfare-friendly products, the research contributes to an area that has received limited attention. We gathered a total of 341 valid questionnaires for this research. Employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) along with Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE), we investigated the causal connections between variables. The study presents three key observations: First, consumers who value sustainability and ethics tend to maintain a positive perspective on free-range eggs. Second, a favorable stance towards cage-free eggs directly correlates with positive future behaviors. Lastly, label trustworthiness and a supportive view towards animal welfare heavily affect behavioral intentions in consumers. Given these insights and the growing significance of animal welfare in consumer choices, we recommend that participants in the food and livestock sector earnestly advocate for and back practices that prioritize animal well-being.
近年来，受对环境、社会和治理（ESG）问题日益关注的推动，人们对动物福利的兴趣稳步上升。这一趋势与联合国设定的可持续发展目标（SDGs）相一致。这凸显了理解消费者对尊重动物福利产品态度的重要性。本研究旨在以价值-态度-行为（VAB）模型为理论基础，探讨台湾消费者购买无笼蛋的行为意图。为了全面洞察该领域的消费者行为，该研究考察了“人与自然的联系”、“对标签的信任”和“对动物福利的态度”等关键变量。通过填补文献中现有的研究空白，并探索与动物福利友好型产品相关的消费者行为，该研究为一个受到有限关注的领域做出了贡献。我们共收集了341份有效问卷用于本研究。采用结构方程模型（SEM）和最大似然估计（MLE），我们研究了变量之间的因果关系。该研究提出了三个关键观察结果：第一，重视可持续性和道德的消费者往往对散养鸡蛋持积极态度。第二，对无笼蛋的有利态度与积极的未来行为直接相关。最后，标签的可信度和对动物福利的支持观点对消费者的行为意图有很大影响。鉴于这些见解以及动物福利在消费者选择中日益重要的地位，我们建议食品和畜牧业的参与者认真倡导并支持优先考虑动物福祉的做法。
