Two unprecedented studies by Kansas State University indicate that media coverage of how animals are treated influence meat and poultry purchase decisions by consumers.

In one of the studies, KSU Agricultural Economics Asst. Prof. Glynn Tonsor found that an increase in the number of animal welfare issues reported in the media had no direct impact on beef demand, but reduced pork demand in both the long- and short-terms and reduced long-term poultry demand by 5.01 percent.

The study looked at animal welfare media coverage between 1999 and 2008, when the number of stories increased by as much as 253 percent.

In a separate study, Tonsor and Chris Wolf of Michigan State University found that 62 percent of consumers surveyed supported mandatory animal welfare labeling on products, but 44 percent of that group reversed their support if such labeling drove up meat and poultry prices. The upper limit for tolerating the price hikes were about 20 percent among those surveyed.

The report concludes that meat demand impacts exist and warrant industry consideration in strategy development as mandatory labeling discussions increase.

The study results were presented at the American Meat Institute’s Animal Care & Handling Conference in Kansas City last week. Additional information is available here.