Discussing modern poultry farming systems—insights into citizen's lay theories

Abstract

A growing public concern, especially about animal welfare problems in poultry farming systems in the EU, has been addressed by numerous (mostly quantitative) studies. However, in-depth research about the underlying reasons for the lack of acceptance concerning modern poultry farming is rare. Debates on animal welfare are often polarized. Thus, this study involved 8 exploratory focus group discussions in 4 German cities. To understand the different positions and to simulate controversial debates on animal welfare, the study includes vegetarians/vegans (as a critical and involved group) and meat eaters. The actual level of knowledge about modern poultry production among participants was heterogeneous, varying between detailed specialized knowledge and misinformation. It was found that improvements for poultry animal welfare that have already been achieved, such as the ban of conventional cages for laying hens in the EU, were not yet recognized by the wider public. A central finding was that participants mostly use lay theories and conclude that the actual poultry husbandry systems make a high use of antibiotics necessary, which has a negative influence on the meat products and, thus, endangers consumer health. The results also indicate that an industrialized agri-food system (rather than farmers) is held primarily responsible for the perceived problems in the poultry value chain. Furthermore, participants are aware of their responsibility and also blame their buying behavior.