• Key drivers of consumer attitudes toward animal-derived food waste is investigated.
• Consumer behavior and confusion over expiration dates are major drivers.
• Mitigation strategies include education, clearer labeling, and policy reforms.
• Mitigating food waste is essential for environmental, economic, and ethical progress.

Bytyqi, H., Kunili, I. E., Mestani, M., Antoniak, M. A., Berisha, K., Dinc, S. O., Guzik, P., Szymkowiak, A., & Kulawik, P. (2025). Consumer attitudes towards animal-derived food waste and ways to mitigate food loss at the consumer level. Trends in Food Science & Technology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224425000342#libraryItemId=17797592

Consumers’ attitudes and consumption patterns towards meat will be introduced, along with the interaction among cultural, health, ethical, and environmental factors that shape consumer perceptions of meat. Additionally, meat consumption patterns will be presented, addressing profound understandings of historical trends, regional variations, and predominantly consumed types of meat. Factors influencing these patterns, such as socioeconomic conditions, cultural practices, health considerations, and environmental awareness, will be thoroughly examined. Furthermore, the chapter will discuss the changing trends in consumer perspectives towards meat consumption. Plant-based diets and the influence of veganism and vegetarianism are on the rise. Sustainable meat consumption is considered a response to environmental concerns and ethical dilemmas. In summary, these contents provide valuable insights into the interaction between factors shaping consumer attitudes towards meat and the transformations in modern meat consumption patterns.

Dam, S.-M., Truong, H.-D., Le, D.-A., Le, T.-A. D., & Nguyen, D.-V. (2025). Consumer’s attitudes and consumption patterns of meat products. In A. Kumar Pathera, H. Kumar, & S. Yadav (Eds.), Healthier Meat Products (pp. 1–32). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-78215-2_1

Background/Objectives: The influence of individual differences in the selection of food portions can have a deep effect on recommendations for personalised nutrition. In addition to typical aspects such us energy density and nutrient composition, portion size is important for dietary recommendations. This study examined the dietary behaviours and portion size selection of 224 subjects in Spain and Germany to use such information to improve dietary adherence to a personalised nutrition app. Methods: An online questionnaire administered to adults in Spain and Germany collected sociodemographic data and dietary habits. The measurement of portion sizes was derived from a classification ranging from XXS to XL across 22 food groups, with assistance from a photographic atlas. Results: Significant differences across dimensions were found. Dietary habits showed that omnivores were the majority in both countries, with significant differences in the consumption of bread, desserts, and beverages. The Mediterranean diet was significantly followed by the Spanish group, reflecting cultural differences. Body mass index (BMI) was slightly higher among Germans, although both populations fell within the normal ranges. Portion size comparisons revealed statistically significant differences in the consumption of various food items between the two countries. Spaniards consumed higher amounts of rice, meat, and legumes, while Germans consumed larger portions of stews, lasagne, and pizza. These variations highlight differing dietary habits influenced by cultural preferences and dietary guidelines. Conclusions: The findings support the development of novel personalised nutrition apps that consider user preferences and enhance dietary adherence, thereby contributing to improved dietary recommendations and health outcomes.

Hinojosa-Nogueira, D., Navajas-Porras, B., Pastoriza, S., Delgado-Osorio, A., Toledano-Marín, Á., Rohn, S., Rufián-Henares, J. Á., & Quesada-Granados, J. J. (2025). Dietary behavioural preferences of Spanish and German adults and their translation to the dietary recommendations of a personalised nutrition app in the framework of the Stance4Health project. Nutrients, 17(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17050912

Background: This study assessed dietary greenhouse gas emission (GHGE), land use (LU), and water footprint (WFP) among Bavarian residents while exploring sociodemographic characteristics, food consumption patterns, sustainability beliefs, and behaviors across GHGE quintiles.

Methods and design: The 3rd Bavarian Food Consumption Survey (BVS III) was conducted from October 2021 to January 2023, involving participants aged 18–75 years. The study employed demographic weighting to represent the Bavarian population. Dietary data (N = 1,100) were linked to sustainability databases.

Results: In Bavaria, the average dietary GHGE is 6.14 kg CO2eq, with LU at 7.50 m2*yr. and WFP at 4.39 kiloliters per 2,500 kcal. Multivariate regression analyses indicated that females had significantly higher GHGE (β = 0.204, p = 0.023) and WFP (β = 0.466, p < 0.001) compared to males. Waist circumference was positively associated with GHGE (β = 0.011, p < 0.001) and LU (β = 0.035, p < 0.001). Participants following vegetarian or vegan diets show significantly lower GHGE, LU, and WFP than omnivores. High CO2eq emitters also consumed more coffee, tea, and most foods of animal origin. Lowest CO2eq emitters are more inclined to reduce meat consumption (91% vs. 61–77%, p = 0.012), while higher emitters focused on purchasing regional foods (93–95% vs. 80%, p = 0.041).

Conclusion: This study provided a view of dietary sustainability metrics in Bavaria. Considering energy-adjusted diets, higher emissions are associated with being female, having a higher waist circumference, and following an omnivorous diet. Increased consumption of animal products, coffee, and tea contributed to greater environmental impacts.

Gimpfl, S., Schwarz, S., Rohm, F., Ohlhaut, N., Röger, C., Senger, M., Kussmann, M., Linseisen, J., & Gedrich, K. (2025). Dietary greenhouse gas emissions and resource use among Bavarian adults: Associations with sociodemographics and food choices. Frontiers in Nutrition, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1542254

Animal agriculture is a major source of carbon emissions, biodiversity decline and deforestation globally. Reducing meat and dairy consumption is one of the most impactful ways that individuals can reduce their carbon emissions. However, while vegetarianism and veganism are becoming increasingly common globally, men still consume more meat than women and demonstrate greater resistance to meat reduction interventions. Understanding why this population is reluctant to reduce their meat consumption is of great importance for global climate policy, environmental psychologists and animal advocates. In this paper, we explore the nuances of meat consumption among men from two mixed-methods perspectives. In the first study, we used a representative quantitative survey of over 1000 men to understand how masculine roles and norms impact meat consumption. We found that greater alignment with traditional masculine norms was significantly associated with greater red meat and poultry consumption, as well as greater attachment to meat and dairy, a stronger perception that meat is masculine, and a higher sense of threat from vegetarians. In the second study, we used a novel qualitative method (remotely-moderated focus groups), to explore how men discuss meat consumption with matched age and gender peer groups. Thematic analysis indicated that men have a mixed, and oftentimes contradictory understanding of the role of their gender in food choices. While some men denied that gender influenced their meat consumption, they would then discuss the gendered dynamics of social eating and use multiple strategies to justify their meat consumption. In tandem, these studies highlight the relevance of masculine norms in the context of animal product consumption and reduction, even when the relationship is largely covert or implicit. Based on these findings, we propose six recommendations for future interventions designed to encourage meat and dairy reduction in men.

Hankins, E., Couture, A., Flores, C., Tan, N. P.-J., & Prosser, A. M. B. (2025). Macho meals? A mixed methods study on traditional masculine norms and animal product consumption in the UK. OSF Preprints. https://osf.io/preprints/osf/n6zgy_v1#libraryItemId=17797974

Objective: To better understand college students’ perceptions of animal product consumption, this study’s purpose was to examine associations between student characteristics and attitudes toward red meat, dairy consumption, and plant-based alternatives. Participants: The participants were a stratified random sample of 5,300 students from Kansas State University, with 528 fully completed surveys, representing a 10% completion rate. Methods: A 25-item survey assessed demographics and perceptions, with data dimensionality reduced using principal component analysis (PCA), revealing five factors. Linear regressions identified associations between student characteristics and attitudes. Results: Most respondents were female (67%), aged 18-25 years (89%), white (87%), late undergraduates (53%), and omnivorous (92%). College affiliation (p <  .01) and self-reported dietary eating patterns (p <  .05) were consistently associated with perceptions of red meat and dairy. Race/ethnicity (p <  .01), agricultural knowledge (p <  .05), and population size (p <  .01) also showed significant associations with specific perceptions of red meat and dairy. Conclusions: Students affiliated with the College of Agriculture and those with omnivorous diets had more positive views on red meat and dairy compared to others. Despite trends toward plant-based diets, students at this land-grant institution generally viewed red meat and dairy positively.

Rosenkranz, S. K., Dennis-McLeod, B. T., Janss, B., Shahamati, D., Yarrow, L., & Rosenkranz, R. R. (2025). Perceptions of meat and dairy foods among college students at a land-grant institution: An observational, analytical study. Journal of American College Health, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2025.2479701

Many consumers in Western countries enjoy eating meat as they consider it a key component in their diets, despite increasing awareness of the negative effects of meat overconsumption. The inner conflict that arises from the discrepancy between consumers’ attitudes and actual behaviour can be named the “meat paradox.” Thus, meat eaters adopt rationalization as a coping strategy to solve this discrepancy by means of four meat-eating justifications, known as the 4Ns: eating meat is natural, normal, necessary, and nice. However, how these meat-eating justifications vary among consumers and to what extent health-related aspects influence rationalization is unclear. This is the first study that identified specific red meat consumer segments according to the 4Ns, shedding light on the influence of health-related aspects. To achieve this, a two-step cluster analysis was performed on a stratified, representative sample of 1179 Italian red meat consumers. As a result, three red meat consumer segments (flexitarians, potential flexitarians, and meat lovers) were identified according to their meat-eating justifications. In addition, they were characterized by different health-related aspects as well as consumption habits, social norms, and sociodemographic characteristics. Our findings provide theoretical implications and practical knowledge to policymakers and non-profit organizations devising interventions to reduce excessive meat consumption and shift toward more sustainable diets.

Testa, R., Rizzo, G., Vecchio, R., Vella, F., Schifani, G., & Migliore, G. (2025). The meat paradox and health-related aspects: A cluster analysis among red meat consumers. Food Quality and Preference, 129, 105529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105529

Advertising produced by the meat industry aims to stimulate positive feelings and thoughts about the exploitation of nonhuman animals. Propaganda techniques, such as glittering generalities, euphemism, virtue signaling, framing, and appealing to authority all comprise strategies used by this industry to convince consumers of the worthiness and appeal of its products. Mechanisms of moral disengagement, such as displacement of responsibility, normalization, and joke-making/humorization have also been detected within almost all varieties of meat industry advertising. Within this milieu, meat industry advocates appear to abandon all concern about marginalizing, disenfranchising, and disparaging animals.

Widolf, H. E. (2025). The role of propaganda and moral disengagement within meat industry advertising. Journal of Animal Ethics. https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jane/article-abstract/15/1/99/398895/The-Role-of-Propaganda-and-Moral-Disengagement?redirectedFrom=fulltext#libraryItemId=17798000

The concept of animal welfare is evolving due to progress in our scientific understanding of animal biology and changing societal expectations. Animal welfare science has been primarily concerned with minimizing suffering, but there is growing interest in also promoting positive experiences, grouped under the term positive animal welfare (PAW). However, there are discrepancies in the use of the term PAW. An interdisciplinary group arrived at a consensus that ‘PAW can be defined as the animal flourishing through the experience of predominantly positive mental states and the development of competence and resilience. PAW goes beyond ensuring good physical health and the prevention and alleviation of suffering. It encompasses animals experiencing positive mental states resulting from rewarding experiences, including having choices and opportunities to actively pursue goals and achieve desired outcomes’. The definition also considers individual and species-specific differences. It provides a framework for researchers to investigate PAW and thereby generate innovative, informative and reproducible science. Studies of PAW can contribute to a richer picture of an animal’s life and may elucidate the biological foundations of happiness. The definition creates opportunities to inspire scientific progress in animal biology and to align animal care practices, legislation and markets with societal expectations.

Rault, J.-L., Bateson, M., Boissy, A., Forkman, B., Grinde, B., Gygax, L., Harfeld, J. L., Hintze, S., Keeling, L. J., Kostal, L., Lawrence, A. B., Mendl, M. T., Miele, M., Newberry, R. C., Sandøe, P., Špinka, M., Taylor, A. H., Webb, L. E., Whalin, L., & Jensen, M. B. (2025). A consensus on the definition of positive animal welfare. Biology Letters, 21(1), 20240382. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0382

This study explores the adoption of online/blended learning approach in the delivery of animal welfare training among learners in animal health/science courses in Africa. Kenyan institutions approved to offer Animal Health training in 2020 by the Kenya Veterinary Board (18 institutions) were selected, in addition to select institutions in Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. Online Survey were used to obtain information on the learning environment and institutional resources. Information on the learners’ perception on online/blended learning approach in animal welfare training was obtained. Eighty three precent (83%) of the participants supported the suitability of animal welfare training via online/blended learning (n = 517) with most of them agreeing that content coverage was at least above average, 49.6% (n = 508). Despite a general positive acceptance of the approach, only 52.5% had access to an internet-capable device, 36.2% had access to the timely availability of recordings/teaching notes and 26.2%, had access to reliable internet connectivity (n = 516). Pedagogical tools students had interacted with the most, and had the highest preference for in descending order were videos, photos and case reports. Online/blended learning has been largely accepted by learners undertaking animal health-related courses in Africa. It offered an opportunity for the continuity of learning when traditional classroom sessions were restricted during COVID-19 pandemic. Training institutions nonetheless are yet to fully support this approach. Learner sponsors should therefore support remote-learning by facilitating access to devices and a conducive environment.

Oduori, D. O., Kirui, G., & Serem, K. E. (2025). Adoption of online/blended learning approach in the delivery of animal welfare training for animal health professionals training in Africa. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-13245-2

Slaughter animals are transported, lairaged and stunned before slaughter. The welfare of animals can be compromised during this period. It is expected that all animals be protected from avoidable sources of disturbance, pain, or suffering during transport, lairage, restraint, stunning, slaughter, or killing. Slaughter animals include horses, ruminants, pigs, poultry, and species of fish. The different aspects involved in handling these animals are described in each chapter.

Lambooji, E. (Ed.). (2025). Animal stress and welfare during transport and slaughtering. MDPI – Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. https://www.mdpi.com/books/reprint/10609-animal-stress-and-welfare-during-transport-and-slaughtering#libraryItemId=17801325

Animal welfare is at the forefront of the debate on sustainable food systems. However, animal welfare improvements often imply higher costs for producers. We explored whether Swiss consumers are willing to contribute monetarily to such improvements through an increase in prices of butter or milk. Based on a discrete choice experiment with 986 Swiss consumers, we investigated preferences for two animal welfare improvements in the dairy industry – loose housing and farm killing – as well as for organic production, origin of product, and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. Furthermore, we investigated how consumers perceive a potential conflict between GHG reductions and animal welfare concerns. Half of our sample faced increases in milk prices; the other half faced increases in butter prices. Findings indicate that animal welfare is of higher importance to consumers when compared to the other attributes under analysis. Consumers oppose GHG reductions associated with deteriorations in animal welfare and are willing to pay for improvements in housing conditions and a less stressful killing of the animals. Improvements in animal welfare could be crucial for dairy industry actors and provide strong arguments in communicating benefits of dairy products to consumers.

Martinez Cruz, A. (2025). Animal welfare has priority: Swiss consumers’ preferences for animal welfare, greenhouse gas reductions and other sustainability improvements in dairy products. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://agris.fao.org/search/en/providers/122495/records/6749834f7625988a3722f0e5#libraryItemId=17801322

Do residents of states with high levels of animal agriculture have different views about animal welfare on industrialized farms compared to residents of states with low levels of animal agriculture? In a survey of residents of high and low farmed animal agriculture states in the USA (N = 1985), we found that views about farmed animal welfare were largely similar between residents of those two sets of states. Using an extreme groups analysis of the 5 highest animal agriculture (e.g., Oklahoma) and 5 lowest animal agriculture states (e.g., Massachusetts), there were no measurable differences on some key outcome variables (e.g., mental state attributions to farmed animals, knowledge of factory farming, killing practices on industrialized farms, state and farmers’ responsibility for farmed animal welfare). Among the variables where we found measurable differences (e.g., those in high animal agriculture states, compared to those in low agriculture states, knew less about animals used as food and had lower estimates of the percent of farmed animals on industrial farms), the size of those differences was small (mean Cohen’s d of variables with significant differences = |0.18|) and none involved a qualitative shift (e.g., from agree to disagree). Moreover, predictors of those views were significant and stable across residents of the two sets of states and consistent with previous research (e.g., knowledge significantly predicted magnitude of factory farming independent of state of residency). These results may help inform where, for what, and by how much differences among residences high and low animal agriculture states matter.

Feltz, A., & Dillard, C. (2025). Attitudes, knowledge, and justifications concerning industrially farmed animal welfare between residents of high and low animal agriculture states. Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations, 4. https://doi.org/10.5964/phair.14269

Inappropriate antibiotic use in food animals is considered a significant contributor to increasing antibiotic resistance. Consumers can play a critical role in reducing it through purchasing choices, demand, and policy advocacy. This systematic review aimed to synthesize all published literature investigating consumers’ perspectives (i.e., knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes) on antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in food animals. We conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar on November 14, 2022, and an updated search on April 30, 2024. We limited findings to original peer-reviewed journal articles published up to 2023 (inclusive), were written in English, and focused on knowledge/perceptions/attitudes of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in food animals. Of the 3815 articles identified, 39 were included. The findings suggested that consumers were concerned about antibiotic use in food animals, thus they were willing to pay more for food products with antibiotic-free or reduced-antibiotic use. However, consumers lacked deep understanding of antibiotic use practice and antibiotic stewardship in food animals as well as transmission risks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and livestock industries to implement policy and practice changes to ensure responsible antibiotic use in food animals.

Zhou, Y., Zhang, A., van Klinken, R. D., Jones, D., & Wang, J. (2025). Consumers’ perspectives on antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in food animals: A systematic review. Npj Science of Food, 9(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00381-3

Wildfires globally impact farmers, with risk expected to rise in the next thirty years. Beyond fatalities, wildfires impair the reproductive capabilities of surviving livestock due to smoke exposure. Effective interventions require considering animal welfare, prognosis, and costs. Enhanced clinical assessment is crucial. There is a paucity of data concerning decision-making processes regarding burn injuries in livestock. This study establishes evidence-based guidelines for wildfire-affected ruminants in field settings. The goal is categorizing scientific evidence to create prognostic guidelines. English and Spanish publications from Web of Science, Medline, and Google Scholar were searched using keywords related to burn injuries, disaster management, and animal welfare. A research matrix was populated based on inclusion criteria and evidence strength, leading to the development of visual triage guidelines for sheep and cattle. Most evidence comprises case reports (expert opinion) and observational trials. Ovine controlled trials in the 80 s and 90 s significantly advanced burn injury understanding in humans and animals. Key clinical factors determining burn severity include burn extent and depth, anatomic location, and smoke inhalation. Core non-clinical factors implicated in decision-making include feed, water, and shelter, amongst others. Animal categorization by burn severity creates a model for prioritising resources towards animals with the best recovery chances, protecting animal welfare.

Cardoso, C. L., May, C. E., & Leask, R. (2025). Evidence-based guidelines for the post-fire assessment of domestic ruminants: A scoping review. BMC Veterinary Research, 21(1), 223. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-04666-3

Animals have played a crucial role in human history and development for millennia, utilised for food, fibre, livelihoods, leisure, companionship, and sociocultural functions. Humans derive various benefits from animals, but increasing global populations of kept animals (e.g., in agriculture) are generating harmful external costs related to animal welfare problems and antimicrobial resistance. For example, many farmed animal production systems configured to maximise production and resource-use efficiency prevent animals’ expression of normal behaviours and positive affective states. Furthermore, antibiotic use in farmed animals is well managed to the extent that it aligns with the public health agenda; however, some antibiotics considered of lower risk to public health are used in relatively high quantities in farmed animals and are discharged into the environment with high persistence and potential toxicity to non-target organisms. The ineffective delivery of animal welfare and environmental public goods by the private sector denotes market failure. This thesis explores the levers for incorporating the neglected considerations of animal welfare and antimicrobial stewardship into the veterinary and agriculture sustainability discourse and metrics in the UK context. Four sector-specific studies are presented, exploring this nexus in the veterinary profession, agriculture sector, commercial food supply chains, and public sector institutions. The studies afford different perspectives on these externalities, including both production and consumption as potential drivers of welfare harm and antibiotic use. They contribute to a nascent discourse within the UK’s veterinary and commercial agricultural communities that is reflecting more deeply on how, as critical and influential stakeholders, these actors can support and forge a new relationship with non-human animals and other components of nature through a One Health approach. It concludes by proposing a series of recommendations, including regulations, incentives and voluntary initiatives, which align with an ecological sustainability paradigm that respects and strives for intergenerational and interspecies wellbeing.

Higham, L. E. (2025). Exploring the animal treatment-sustainability nexus: Integrating animal welfare and antibiotic stewardship into the sustainability agenda [Doctoral dissertation]. https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/43241#libraryItemId=17801311

Animal welfare programs alone are insufficient to ensure better welfare for farm animals. Effective farm management, driven by dairy farmers’ intrinsic motivation, plays a pivotal role. This study examines the factors influencing dairy farmers’ intention to implement animal welfare practices and their commitment to continuously enhancing welfare. Based on a survey of 682 German dairy farmers, the results underscore the importance of intrinsic motivation, habitual behavior, and knowledge acquisition. Farmers’ willingness to engage in continuous improvement suggests that policies should focus less on formal programs and more on enabling intrinsic motivation. The study introduces the construct of “continuous enhancement,” offering a novel framework for understanding and improving animal welfare practices.

Grotsch, H., Mergenthaler, M., Kühl, S., & Schulze, H. (2025). The role of intrinsic motivation and continuous enhancement on the intention to implement animal welfare practices in dairy farming. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13506

This paper introduces a mechanistic framework for understanding animal emotions, which is designed for biologists studying animal behavior and welfare. Researchers often examine emotions—short-term valenced experiences—through behavioral, somatic, and cognitive indicators. However, proposed indicators are often ambivalent (emerge in contexts with opposing emotional valence) or undetermined (arise in both affective and non-affective processes). To ground hypothesis formulation regarding animal emotions on a better foundation, the paper advocates for building on what we know regarding the mechanisms of human emotions—the behavioral rules that transform sensory input into motor output during emotional episodes. In particular, it integrates key assumptions from three dominant psychological theories of emotion—innate, appraisal, and network theories—into a single framework and argues that this can serve as a common ground to transfer insights from human to animal emotion research. Additionally, the paper tackles the question of how emotions relate to closely linked processes such as decision-making, distinguishing between parallel architecture models—where emotions and decision-making processes interact but remain distinct—and unified models—where affective states are conceived as integral to goal-oriented processes. Finally, we discuss how our mechanistic proposal can help us address four key questions in animal emotion research: Do animals experience emotions? If so, which animals experience emotions? Which emotions do they experience? And how do these emotions compare to human emotions? The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for further empirical research on the mechanisms of animal emotions and their distinction from other processes.

Carranza-Pinedo, V., Krohs, U., & Richter, S. H. (2025). Towards a scientific definition of animal emotions: Integrating innate, appraisal, and network mechanisms. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 172, 106127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106127

Animal use in the film, TV, and advertising industries is largely unregulated, which has given rise to numerous welfare issues and complaints over the years. In this study, through interviews and surveys conducted with industry stakeholders, including animal handlers, production teams, and other crew members, we have sought to explore the motivations driving animal welfare priorities, the challenges hindering implementation, and perceptions of potential solutions. The results reveal a widespread commitment to animal welfare and motivation to implement sustainable changes to safeguard the well-being of the animals being used. The results highlight several challenges, including time and funding constraints, ethical concerns regarding animal handlers and suppliers, and communication breakdowns among stakeholders. These insights are discussed and analysed, and recommendations regarding future directions and initiatives are made to highlight a roadmap for positive change for animals in productions.

Lambert, H., Gordon, J., Jackson, L., Rogers, S., Clubb, R., White, J., & Lewis, S. (2025). Towards enhancing animal welfare standards in UK media: Part 2; insights from the industry. Human-Animal Interactions. https://doi.org/10.1079/hai.2025.0007

Concerns regarding the welfare of laying hens in cage systems (CS) have prompted the development of alternative housing systems, such as aviary systems (AS). However, debate remains about welfare and productivity under both systems. This study compares the welfare and egg quality of laying hens in CS and AS. Hy-Line Brown hens housed in CS (n = 79,500; cage space = 0.075 m2/hen; 6.14 hens/cage) and AS (n = 42,079; floor space = 9 hens/m2) on a single farm were evaluated at 28, 38, and 48 weeks of age. Five evaluators from the Welfare Quality® protocol were used to assess physical conditions (n = 600), and behaviors were assessed through qualitative behavior assessment (n = 15 flocks), avoidance distance test (ADT; n = 315), and novel object test (NOT; n = 15 flocks). Additionally, blood parameters (n = 50), egg quality (n = 50), and serum (n = 50) and egg yolk (n = 90) corticosterone levels were measured. Feather condition in CS hens deteriorated with age, showing higher plumage damage scores than AS hens, though both systems showed increases in comb pecking wounds and feather damage over time. The AS hens showed more positive behaviors, e.g., being active and energetic, while CS hens exhibited more negative behaviors, e.g., fearfulness and depression. In the AS, hens responded more quickly to the observer in the ADT (P < 0.01 for all periods), and more approached the object in the NOT (P < 0.01 at 38 and 48 weeks). The CS hens had higher yolk corticosterone levels (P < 0.05) at 48 weeks but produced heavier eggs consistently across all periods (P < 0.01 for all). In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of evaluating laying hen welfare through a combination of behavioral, physical, and physiological measures. Our findings suggest that the AS provides better welfare outcomes for hens than the CS, offering critical insights for improving both animal welfare and productivity in future housing systems.

Jeon, H., Shin, H., Lee, J., Kim, J., Biswas, S., Lee, J., & Yun, J. (2025). Welfare characteristics of laying hens in aviary and cage systems. Poultry Science, 104(5), 104987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2025.104987

The study evaluated animal-based welfare indicators in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) from different Mediterranean suppliers across two harvest seasons. Indicators included fish biometry, condition indexes, morphological anomalies, and caudal fin erosion. A total of 540 seabream (367 ± 46 g) from 18 lots (30 fish/lot) were obtained from three supplier origins (Croatia, Greece, Turkey; 6 lots each) and two seasons (autumn and spring; 9 lots each).

Seabream from Turkey were smaller (−4 % length, −5 % weight; P < 0.001), had higher perivisceral fat (1.49 % vs. 0.67 %; P < 0.001), and a higher condition factor (+6 %; P < 0.001) compared to Croatia and Greece. Autumn-harvested fish were heavier (+9 % weight; P < 0.001), had a higher condition factor (+10 %; P < 0.001), and fillet yield (+4.9 %; P < 0.001) compared to spring. Vertebral column anomalies averaged 3.0 %, but three lots showed high incidences (16.7 %, 20.0 %, 16.7 %), with significant effects of supplier origin (P < 0.001) and season (P < 0.01). Skull anomalies (5.4 %) were found in 15 out of 18 lots, significantly differing by supplier origin (P < 0.001). Eye anomalies averaged 0.7 % with no seasonal or supplier effect. Caudal fin erosion occurred in 77 % of fish (range: 33–100 %), with an average erosion index (FEI) of 0.72. Fish from Greece exhibited the highest occurrence (88 %) and severity (FEI = 0.92), while autumn-harvested fish had higher erosion (FEI: 0.75 vs. 0.65; P < 0.001).

This study provides a first characterization of seabream welfare indicators at market level, revealing significant variability influenced by supplier origin and harvest season. These findings could inform thresholds for on-farm welfare monitoring and support welfare labelling of Mediterranean cage-farmed fish under commercial conditions.

Bordignon, F., Ferrarese, L., Solimeo, A., Di Leva, V., & Trocino, A. (2025). Animal-based measures for operational welfare indicators at wholesale level in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) reared in the Mediterranean Sea. Aquaculture, 603, 742417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2025.742417

Fish welfare has become an important concern in aquaculture, mostly due to the recent increase in awareness of fish as potentially sentient animals among scientists and consumers. There is now a focus on fish welfare by policy makers and different initiatives are taking place as the recent creation of the EU Reference Centre for Animal Welfare for Aquatic Animals. Within this context, DTU Aqua, with an established record of research efforts aimed at improving the welfare conditions of fish in aquaculture, has elaborated this report to establish the current status of this matter in Denmark and identify potential needs for future work at the national level. This report stems from an advisory task assigned by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries/Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.

Gesto, M. (2024). Animal welfare in Denmark’s fish farming sector: Regulatory and practical aspects (DTU Aqua Reports). DTU Aqua. https://doi.org/10.11581/c263c683-9311-4b2b-b3d1-ef7c7854ba14#libraryItemId=17801327

Animal welfare, encompassing the physical and psychological well-being of animals, is crucial for aquatic species. Emphasizing welfare enhances ethical standards, productivity, and sustainability in aquaculture. The “Five Freedoms” principle ensures basic needs and minimizes negative experiences. Welfare definitions vary: nature-based emphasizes natural behaviour, function-based focuses on health and growth, and feelings-based considers emotional well-being. Despite rapid growth in aquaculture, fish often endure poor conditions, causing stress and high mortality. Ethical frameworks guide improvements in practices, habitat preservation, and education. Recognizing the sentience of aquatic animals and addressing ethical concerns are vital for sustainable aquaculture. Aquatic animals exhibit species-specific needs and behaviours driven by evolutionary adaptations and ecological niches, including shoaling, territoriality, migration, complex social structures, and cognitive enrichment. Optimal welfare requires maintaining appropriate water quality, habitat structures, sufficient space, proper social dynamics, species-specific diets, and environmental enrichment. Ethical considerations in research ensure humane treatment through the three Rs: replacement, reduction, and refinement. Balancing scientific necessity with animal welfare is essential, with ethical review processes and regulatory frameworks ensuring compliance, promoting transparency, and public trust. Non-invasive research methods, such as underwater observation, behavioural studies, remote sensing, biochemical techniques, computer modelling, surrogate species, and in vitro studies, aim to reduce harm while obtaining valuable data.

Singh, B., Shahi, N., & Mallik, S. K. (2025). Aquatic animal welfare and behavioural health. In S. K. Mallik, N. Shahi, & P. K. Pandey (Eds.), Management of fish diseases (pp. 465–487). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-0270-4_21

With an ever-growing global population, fish farming has been promoted as a sustainable method for producing fish. Recognising its potential, the EU has endorsed it as a way to bridge the production-consumption gap, ensuring both environmental protection and economic growth in the seafood sector. Nevertheless, aquaculture presents significant challenges, including the serious threat to fish welfare: from rearing to slaughter, fish are negatively affected by several factors, and often feel stress and pain. From a legal perspective, animals, including fish, are recognised as” sentient beings” under Article 13 of the TFEU, which obligates the EU to consider their welfare in its legislation. Despite this recognition, there remains a noticeable gap in how the EU legal framework deals with the welfare of farmed fish. Up to 1.2 billion fish are farmed in the EU each year, and yet there is currently no specific legislation that takes into account their unique needs, allowing for unethical practices to persist. Therefore, this thesis advocates for the development of a comprehensive EU law for the protection of the welfare of farmed fish, while giving importance to recent initiatives in this area, which already signal a promising shift toward greater legal safeguard for these often-overlooked animals.

Pusceddu, G. (2025). Beneath the surface: Assessing the legal protection of fish welfare in EU aquaculture [Master thesis]. https://edepot.wur.nl/687977#libraryItemId=17801335

Fish health in aquaculture is profoundly influenced by environmental quality. Unlike large water bodies, smaller aquaculture systems like ponds and tanks often experience variable conditions that can stress fish. Key stressors include high stocking densities, frequent handling, and fluctuating water parameters. As aquaculture intensifies, increased fertilization and feeding practices exacerbate these stressors, degrading water and soil quality. This deterioration impairs fish’s immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases. The health of fish is intricately linked to their environment, with stress factors classified into physical, chemical, and biological categories. Physical stressors, such as temperature extremes and overcrowding, directly impact fish health and stress responses. Chemical stressors, including fluctuations in pH, dissolved oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels, further complicate the health dynamics. Biological stressors, such as pathogens and parasites, exploit weakened immune systems, leading to disease outbreaks. Understanding these interactions is crucial for improving aquaculture practices and ensuring optimal fish health. As aquaculture practices evolve, balancing productivity with environmental management is essential to mitigate stress and enhance fish welfare.

Kumar, S., Paul, T., Sarkar, P., & Kumar, K. (2025). Environmental factors affecting aquatic animal health. In S. K. Mallik, N. Shahi, & P. K. Pandey (Eds.), Management of fish diseases (pp. 171–188). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-0270-4_7

This study aimed to map the current status of farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) vis-à-vis Atlantic salmon were subjected to an acute crowding scenario, and their subsequent stress responses were observed under three distinct swimming speed/water flow (WF) conditions: 0.5, 1, and 1.5 body lengths per second (BL/s). Feces, dermal mucus, and plasma were collected for analysis at 1, 6, and 24 h (h) post-stress. Additionally, the head kidney and two regions of the brain (pituitary and POA) were collected for transcript expression analysis. Fish swimming at 0.5 BL/s exhibited higher pre-stress (baseline) cortisol levels. Across all groups and matrices, the highest cortisol/cortisol metabolites (CM) levels were observed at the 1 h post-stress sampling point. At 6 h (second sampling time point), a clear decline toward baseline levels were observe in all groups. Significant increases in mean plasma glucose levels were observed at 1 h post-stress for all groups. The mean plasma lactate levels varied based on WF treatments, with a significant increase observed at 1 h only for the 1.5 BL/s group. Additionally, significant decreases in mean plasma lactate were noted at 6 and 24 h post-stress for some groups. The mRNA abundances of the tested genes (star, cyp17a1, hsd11β2, srd5a1) increased following the stress events. These changes were not uniform across all groups and were tissue dependent. In summary, the results indicate that mucus and feces can be used as potentially less invasive matrices than blood for evaluating stress and, consequently, the welfare of Atlantic salmon in captivity.

Keihani, R., Gomes, A. S., Balseiro, P., Handeland, S. O., Gorissen, M., & Arukwe, A. (2024). Evaluation of stress in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) using different biological matrices. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 298, 111743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.111743

This study aimed to map the current status of farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) vis-à-vis animal welfare in the Egyptian tilapia farming sector. To this end, a survey was conducted of tilapia farmers across different regions, examining their level of training and knowledge as well as their farming practices including feeding, water changes and biosecurity measures.

We found that just 11 % of the surveyed tilapia farmers had received any sort of training on the importance of animal welfare whilst 76 % said they could benefit from such training. Farmers perceived maintaining good water quality as the most important metric for achieving good tilapia welfare. However, they were significantly less willing and able to intervene on this factor compared to other factors such as changing feeding practices, minimising handling, and carrying out veterinary checks.

In addition, we found evidence of better production outcomes for farmers that had received welfare training, with significantly fewer of them reporting high mortality rates and significantly lower reported frequency of poor growth. Most farmers expected the Egyptian tilapia production sector to continue to grow and intensify. This survey identified a need for establishing minimum animal welfare standards in Egyptian tilapia farming either through regulators or certification schemes. There is also a clear need for establishing training programmes that cover animal health and welfare aspects in aquaculture.

Flores, C., Bryant, C., Bakr, M., & Emam, W. (2025). Farmed fish welfare in Egypt: Surveying current practices and future directions for tilapia culture. Aquaculture Reports, 41, 102594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2024.102594

European Union directives and international guidelines emphasize the need for humane slaughter practices, with particular attention to the proper stunning of fish prior to slaughter. This study investigates the impact of various combinations of stunning and slaughter methods on the welfare of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), a widely farmed species in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. Specifically, the study explores electrical stunning, anaesthesia, and no stunning, followed by slaughter using either ice-slurry or the ikejime technique. Fish were monitored for visual signs of consciousness, heart rate, internal temperature, plasma stress and osmotic parameters, and muscle quality parameters. The findings revealed that electrical stunning showed similar responses to no stunning, particularly in terms of cortisol levels and muscle quality, in contrast to anaesthesia, which effectively reduced stress and improved meat quality. The ikejime technique, despite its labour-intensive nature, demonstrated significant advantages, including reduced physiological stress and superior muscle quality outcomes. These results suggest that the viability of electrical stunning as a humane option for industry implementation has important limitations, while ikejime or a similar percussive method, with further refinement and automation, could offer a humane and effective solution to optimise both animal welfare and meat quality in industrial settings.

Cabrera-Álvarez, M. J., António Soares, S. M., Nuñez-Velazquez, S., Aníbal, J., Esteves, E., Costa, R. A., Guerreiro, P., Pousão-Ferreira, P., Arechavala-Lopez, P., & Saraiva, J. L. (2025). Stunning and slaughter methods in gilthead seabream: Animal welfare and muscle quality. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5166576

Nile tilapia are, by absolute number of individuals, the most farmed species of fish today, yet we know little about how common husbandry practices impact their welfare. Despite their global importance, there is a notable lack of detailed, species-specific welfare guidelines for tilapia farming. This gap reflects the scarcity of research-based recommendations on appropriate breeding conditions, environmental parameters, and handling methods that fully consider the biology and behavioural ecology of Nile tilapia. This review explores key dimensions of Nile tilapia biology and the implications of commercial aquaculture practices on their welfare. Topics covered include common grow-out housing systems, water quality, stocking density, environmental enrichment, feeding practices, handling, transportation, and slaughter. The paper underscores the importance of developing species-specific welfare parameters and management practices to meet the welfare needs of these animals. Specifically, it describes the most common grow-out housing systems and how parametersinherent to those systems, such as stocking density and environmental enrichment, impact Nile tilapia welfare. The review singles out capture and slaughter processes as particularly detrimental to tilapia welfare and offers insight into how evidence-based approaches can enhance the welfare of Nile tilapia in commercial farming operations.

Emam, W., Lambert, H., & Brown, C. (2025). The welfare of farmed Nile tilapia: A review. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1567984/abstract#libraryItemId=17801293

The tofu industry provides communities with affordable protein sources. As protein sources, the environmental impact of tofu production was compared to other protein sources. Further, the tofu industry also produces waste and by – products affecting the environment. Some previous studies learned the environmental impact of tofu production. In this study, we aim to get information on which stages of the process in the tofu industry impact the environment and what type of strategy is applied to reduce the environmental impacts . The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta – analyses) approach was then chosen to filter the most recent research publications published in international peer – reviewed journals. We found that most articles calculated the environmenta l impact based on GHG, which contributed mainly from imported soybeans and electricity used during production. This research can act as a foundation for further studies related to the tofu industries, enabling treatment, better strategies, and solutions for waste to be developed.

Derosya, V. (2025). Assessing the environmental impact of tofu production: a systematic review. Agrointek, 19(2). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390072860_Assessing_the_environmental_impact_of_tofu_production_a_systematic_review_for_a_sustainable_industry?enrichId=rgreq-72c034140cbd8119f7ed5e631a9508bd-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzM5MDA3Mjg2MDtBUzoxMTQzMTI4MTMxOTQyNjQ2NEAxNzQyNjE4MzI2Nzg2&el=1_x_2&_esc=publicationCoverPdf#libraryItemId=17797714

Progress towards eliminating hunger and promoting sustainable diets is lagging, with food systems damaging ecosystems and over 700 million people undernourished. Here we develop a linear programming model that identifies food combinations that satisfy both environmental and nutritional constraints. Using US-specific data, the model considers the environmental and nutritional characteristics of more than 2,500 food items consumed in the USA, optimizing diets based on the healthy life gained from the Health Nutritional Index. Aligned with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 °C target, various diets are found to offer up to 700 min of healthy life gained per week, while reducing climate impacts by a factor of seven. Vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets that limit meat consumption to 255 g per week (pork and poultry) best met environmental and nutritional constraints. Grains, legumes and nuts were the primary protein sources. These diets provide a range of specific options for consumers and actionable targets for policy recommendations.

Gebara, C. H., Berthet, E., Vandenabeele, M. I. D., Jolliet, O., & Laurent, A. (2025). Diets can be consistent with planetary limits and health targets at the individual level. Nature Food. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01133-y

Accurate knowledge of the most impactful behaviors to mitigate climate change is essential for citizens to reduce their carbon emissions effectively. Yet, evidence relating action-impact knowledge with the frequency of pro-environment behaviors is limited and mixed. Additionally, some studies found little evidence of accurate action-impact knowledge among citizens, leading researchers to evaluate action impact perceptions – how much individuals believe actions are impactful – as a behavioral predictor. The current study examined the role of action-impact knowledge vs. perception in the engagement in pro-environmental behaviors across domains relevant to climate-change mitigation, namely, driving, flying, food choices, and saving energy and water. In a sample of Portuguese participants (n = 386), we observed that action-impact knowledge varies: individuals often overestimated the potential of some low-impact behaviors (e.g., reducing littering) while underestimating some high-impact behaviors such as reducing meat consumption, and more accurately estimated others, like driving and flying. Our analysis showed that an overall higher action-impact perception, together with positive ecological attitudes, were more strongly associated with mitigation behaviors than objective action-impact knowledge per se. We conclude that efforts to promote behavioral change should focus on fostering positive ecological attitudes and communicating the mitigation potential of high-impact behaviors.

Vieira, J. P. S., Marques, C., Castro, S. L., & Souza, A. S. (2025). Ecological attitudes and action-impact perception, but not action-impact knowledge, predict pro-environmental behaviors. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/72c5u_v1

Pigs are the fourth most commonly slaughtered species used for food, after fish, chickens, and ducks (1). In 2022, an estimated 1.49 billion pigs were slaughtered globally. Within the UK for example, more than 11.4 million pigs, sows, and boars (hereafter, pigs) were slaughtered in UK slaughterhouses in 2022 (2). By late 2024 this equated to nearly a million pigs monthly, or nearly a quarter of a million weekly (3). In 2023, there were 84 slaughterhouses accepting pigs in the UK, with 10 of these specializing in pigs insofar as 95% or more of the animals slaughtered were pigs (4).

Stunning aims to render pigs unconscious before being killed and processed. The vast majority (88%) of pigs in England and Wales are stunned and killed using high concentration CO2, with electrical stunning being used for most of the remaining 12% (5). Since 2003, there have been calls for the phasing out of high concentration CO2 (6, 7), which have been reiterated more recently (8).

In the following, we provide a brief review of the animal welfare concerns associated with CO2 stunning. These are then compared with the welfare concerns associated with alternative stunning methods. Welfare concerns arising from preslaughter handling and restraint for each method are also considered. This review does not cover religious slaughter because: 1) Judaism and Islam do not permit the consumption of pig flesh (9), and 2) religious (e.g., Shechita and Halal) slaughter doctrines normally proscribe methods that both stun and kill animals, which may occur with CO2 stunning, as is required when CO2 is used within the UK, for example (10).

Mace, J. L., & Knight, A. (2025). Pig welfare and ethical considerations during abattoir stunning: CO2 vs. alternative methods such as argon gas. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 12, 1542798. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1542798

The oil and gas industry has regularly deflected responsibility towards individual consumers. In contrast, here we show that the US animal agriculture industry has not only avoided notions of individual responsibility but has obstructed even modest efforts to encourage individual dietary change. Drawing on records from 1989 to 2023, we document civil society efforts to advocate dietary shifts as a climate change mitigation strategy, including the Greenhouse Crisis Foundation, Diet for a New America, Beyond Beef, and Meatless Monday, and the industry’s opposition to these campaigns. The animal agriculture industry hired scientists to produce industry-friendly emissions reports and challenge individual action, influenced public discourse around dietary change, and created a front group, the Food Facts Coalition, with a mission to defend the industry against ‘anti-cow arguments’. The animal agriculture industry’s response to individual dietary change illustrates a unique form of climate obstruction and suggests that an industry’s approach to personal responsibility is context-dependent and action-specific.

Loy, L., & Jacquet, J. (2025). The animal agriculture industry’s obstruction of campaigns promoting individual climate action. Climate Policy. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14693062.2025.2460603#libraryItemId=17798016

Global livestock production is a major driver of climate change. Lumping beef and pork together as red meat masks important differences in their carbon footprints, land uses, and social status. These two red meat choices in Canada were compared by using a meta-model of the Unified Livestock Industry and Crop Emissions Estimation System (ULICEES). ULICEES calculated fossil CO2, N2O and CH4 emissions for beef, dairy, pork, poultry, and sheep production in Canada, based on both the livestock and their supporting land base in 2001. The dynamic drivers of the meta-model were crop yields, breeding female populations, tillage practices, nitrogen fertilizer use, and the crop complex of each livestock industry. When the potential carbon sequestration in the land growing harvested perennial forage is credited to beef production, the CO2e emissions offset does not reduce the carbon footprint of beef enough to match the lower carbon footprint of pork. Most of the land required to grow hay for beef would not be needed to feed a protein-equivalent pig population. In a hypothetical conversion of all beef production to pork production for 2021, 4.5 Mha of land under perennial forage was freed and 10.0 MtCO2e per year was mitigated when that area was re-cultivated for annual crops—a GHG mitigation equal to 12% of the GHG emissions budget of Canadian agriculture. Leaving that area under a perennial ground cover mitigated 19.8 MtCO2e per year, the equivalent of 23% of the sector’s GHG emissions budget.

James A. Dyer, & Raymond L. Desjardins. (2025). The role of pigs in the carbon footprint of red meat in Canada. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 7(4), 11–26. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v7i4.7811

Research indicates a significant gap between the individual’s pro-environmental attitudes and actual behavior. To explain this gap, the present paper integrates prominent models of ecological behavior with theories of cognitive dissonance and moral disengagement into the new Behavior Attitude Alignment Model (BAAM). This model suggests that behavioral barriers can create an inconsistency between pro-environmental attitudes and behavior, leading to negative affect. Individuals may resolve this negative affect either by acting more pro-environmentally or by adjusting their attitudes through moral disengagement. Two studies were conducted to test this extended model. The first study (n = 256) focused on behaviors with varying behavioral barriers (eating less meat vs. recycling), while the second study (n = 188) manipulated behavioral barriers for sustainable consumption with a product choice task. The results from both studies indicate that higher behavioral barriers induce moral disengagement, which negatively affects behavioral attitudes, leading to less pro-environmental behavior. However, barriers had no significant effect on negative affect. These findings suggest that moral disengagement plays a crucial role in explaining pro-environmental behavior and offers new insights for developing interventions to counteract this process. Consequently, the present work lays the groundwork for identifying new strategies to close the attitude-behavior gap, and therefore contributes to a more sustainable future.

Demurie, N., Dierckx, K., Van Hiel, A., & Roets, A. (2025). Why pro-environmental attitudes don’t always translate in behavior: Exploring the role of moral disengagement. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/q46vh_v1

Background

Communicating (dynamic) social norms is considered a promising tool to stimulate healthy and sustainable food choices. The aim of the present study was to evaluate to what extent a (dynamic) social norm intervention in real-world supermarkets could increase sales (grams per week) of meat alternatives (i.e. meat substitutes and legumes).

Methods

A quasi-experimental study, including three intervention and three control supermarkets, was conducted during a 12-week period. The intervention supermarkets communicated dynamic norms textually on stickers and banners at different in-store locations (e.g. at the entrance, meat aisles). Moreover, the prominence of meat substitutes was (optically) increased and legumes were conveniently placed near the meat and meat substitutes section. Weekly sales data over a period of 75 weeks were obtained, 62 pre-intervention and 13 during intervention. Comparative interrupted time series analyses were conducted to analyse changes in meat alternative sales (in grams) during the intervention period in the intervention supermarkets compared to pre-intervention sales trends and to control supermarkets. Secondary outcomes included meat sales in grams per week and the ratio of protein content of meat alternatives to protein content of meat sales.

Results

Average meat alternative sales in weekly grams before the intervention were M = 371,931.2 (SD = 113,055.3) in the control supermarkets and M = 299,012.5 (SD = 91,722.8) in the intervention supermarkets. The intervention did not change meat alternative sales in intervention supermarkets compared to pre-implementation sales trends and to control supermarkets (B = − 685.92, 95% CI [− 9904.8; 8525.7]). Sales of meats were also unaffected (B = − 130.91, 95% CI [− 27,127.50; 26,858.33]), as well as the ratio of protein content of meat alternatives to protein content of meat in grams sold per week (B = − 670.54, 95% CI [− 8990.6; 7644.4]).

Conclusions

Communicating (dynamic) social norms via textual and environmental cues (i.e. increasing the prominence of meat alternatives in supermarkets) did not increase meat alternative sales nor reduce meat sales. With supermarkets playing an important role in modulating sustainable food choices, more substantial effort or changes are needed to increase plant-based food purchases and lower meat purchases.

Wolfswinkel, S. M. M., Raghoebar, S., Stuber, J. M., de Vet, E., & Poelman, M. P. (2025). Can (dynamic) social norms encourage plant-based food purchases? A quasi-experimental study in real-world Dutch supermarkets. BMC Medicine, 23(1), 150. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-03986-3

Researchers have started to explore the persuasive power of large language models (LLMs) and initial results suggest that LLMs can be as persuasive as humans, even for controversial and moralized topics. We conducted a preregistered proof-of-concept study to test how a brief conversation with ChatGPT-4o influences attitudes and beliefs about meat consumption, . We found that participants (n = 101) reported weaker commitment to eating meat and weaker beliefs that eating meat is necessary and natural, but not weaker beliefs that eating meat is normal or nice, after (vs. before) their conversation. Our study provides preliminary evidence and can act as a blueprint for future explorations of how conversations with LLMs can change attitudes on meat consumption and related topics.

Jaeger, B., & Karakas, N. (2025). Changes in attitudes toward meat consumption after chatting with a large language model. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/8y2me_v2

Protests serve as a ubiquitous tool of diverse groups worldwide to raise awareness for various issues. While extensive research has explored their immediate effects on behavior, voting patterns, and public attitudes, the short-term impacts on behavioral changes and in particular the longevity of these effects remains less understood. This study investigates how protests organized by Fridays for Future, a global youth-led movement advocating for climate action since 2018, have influenced food consumption patterns in US households. Using a panel of consumer data, we estimate the duration of these behavioral shifts. To establish causality, we first demonstrate that the movement spread asymmetrically from Sweden to the US through social networks. Exploiting this asymmetry, we assess the impact of US protests on food consumption. Our findings reveal that up to five weeks following a protest, households with young individuals reduce their meat consumption, whereas households with older individuals exhibit no significant change in behavior.

Müller, D. F., & Müller, L.-M. (2025). Climate protest and food purchases: Fridays for Future’s impact on meat consumption in the US. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5207655

Reducing consumption of animal products is crucial to addressing the climate crisis. Educational interventions have shown promise in promoting plant-based diets, but questions remain regarding their generalisability. Across two experiments, we examined whether brief, targeted video interventions could influence real-world dietary behaviours in university settings. Study 1 employed food vouchers as a behavioural measure, revealing a significant effect: participants who watched a video focusing on the environmental tolls of animal agriculture (versus plant-based foods) were 2.5 times more likely to redeem their vouchers for vegetarian/vegan meals compared to the control group. Study 2 expanded the intervention scope (employing both an environmental- and ethics-focused intervention) and altered the outcome measure (measuring vegan vs omnivorous meal choices at a university formal dinner). Study 2 effectively reduced selections of meals containing meat, but the effect was weaker than in Study 1. Methodological differences and sample limitations may explain the discrepancies. These experiments highlight the potential of educational interventions for meat reduction in university contexts. To expand on this study’s results, we encourage future research to explore sustained dietary changes post-intervention, rather than single meal choices, and to test a variety of intervention videos.

Hankins, E., Balhatchet, C., Bryant, C., Wilks, M., MacDonald, C., Hankins, R., Abugu, P., Walker Mackay, T., Smith, W., Hazel, H. W., & Clargo, S. (2025). Educational presentations reduce meat consumption across two universities. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5168814

Reducing meat consumption, especially in high-intake countries such as the United States, is crucial in mitigating the climate and biodiversity crises and improving public health and animal welfare. Choice-architecture interventions or nudges in the food domain, such as choice defaults (e.g., reduced default portion sizes), can be powerful levers of behavior change. However, evidence remains limited in large-scale, real-life settings, and little is known about potential effects on diner satisfaction and backfiring effects that reduce or even reverse the desired behavior. These uncertainties have posed substantial barriers to scalability and wider adoption by the food service industry. In our single-blinded, quasi-experimental, pre-registered field interventions in university dining halls with staff-served portions, a 25% reduction in the serving spoon size (Study 1, 24 days, 364 diners, made-to-order burritos) produced a non-significant trend of 18% less meat served per day without reducing overall diner satisfaction (p=0.059, d=0.64) but with a wide CI that included the null (-49.2, 1.07). A more substantial 50% reduction in serving spoon size (Study 2, 29 days, 1802 diners, varying menu items) did not reduce the amount of meat served (p=0.60, d=0.20), triggered backfiring effects, and significantly decreased diner satisfaction. Combining the two studies, the intervention did not significantly reduce meat consumption. While the trends in our findings are consistent with the ‘norm range model’—i.e., that moderate portion reductions may decrease intake but drastic reductions may prompt compensatory eating—key differences and contextual nuances between the two studies help explain the mixed results. Future studies on the ‘norm range’ of default portion size nudges to reduce meat consumption across different menu items and food service models is suggested to increase our understanding of effective and scalable interventions that facilitate collective shifts towards more sustainable dietary behaviors.

Voşki, A., Braginsky, M., Zhang, A., Bertoldo, J., Egan, S., Levig, L. A., Ihrig, M. M., & Mathur, M. B. (2025). Effect of a portion-size default nudge on meat consumption and diner satisfaction: Controlled experiments in Stanford University dining halls. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/9y53n_v2

High rates of meat consumption have negative effects on health and the environment. Various studies have shown that visualising animals (e.g., through photos of animals placed next to meat products) can induce cognitive dissonance and reduce the intention to consume meat. However, almost all of these previous studies were conducted in online settings. Therefore, the present study investigates the effect of animal visualisations on meat choices in an experimental lab study at a fake food buffet. We used a between-subjects design with three conditions: realistic images (n = 107), schematic images (n = 107), and no images (n = 107). As the dependent variable, we compared the proportion of meat that participants selected from the fake food buffet. Contrary to our pre-registered hypotheses, we found no differences in meat selection, neither between the animal visualisation conditions compared to the control group, nor between the realistic and the schematic image condition. Moreover, we found no support for a mediating effect of cognitive dissonance. We conclude that animal visualisations are less effective in realistic settings than in online studies.

Weingarten, N., Seffen, A. E., Bach, L., Meis-Harris, J., Aeikens, A., Barbieri, S., & Dohle, S. (2025). Investigating the effect of animal visualisations on meat choice: An experimental lab study with a fake food buffet. Food Quality and Preference, 129, 105508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105508

Reducing meat consumption is widely regarded as sustainable and healthy. Despite many benefits, modifying or abandoning eating habits is challenging for most people. In this paper, we investigate the process through which families change their eating habits. Specifically, we study parental approaches and actions that change agents (one or both parents) use to facilitate dietary change and partners and responses from household members to efforts to change their families’ eating habits. We collect data through a qualitative inquiry with thirteen families (n=42). Grounding our findings in construal level theory, we determined three stages in the change process centered around (1) implementation of meat reduction diet, (2) rebuilding mutual trust and respect, and (3) Inspiring household members to develop a sense of commitment and responsibility. We propose a theoretical model that explains how a shift from abstract to concrete construal facilitates (within the household and outside) increases the likelihood of family members to develop alignment with a meat reduction dietary change.

Zhao, X., Castka, P., & Kemper, J. (2025). Meat reduction diet transformations in families: A construal level theory perspective. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5159006

The change in the communication landscape and the surging role of influencers motivated us to find how different influencer characteristics affect brand engagement and purchase intention between micro-influencers (<10,000 followers) and meso-influencers (10,000–1,000,000 followers). There is no consensus on the effectiveness of these influencer types in literature. We tested various characteristics in the vegan context to understand if such influencers affect users’ intention to adopt vegan products and promote veganism. Using PLS-SEM, we analyzed the data collected from 302 respondents. Furthermore, multigroup analysis was used to test the differences between micro and meso influencers across various paths. Our study suggests that an influencer’s physical attractiveness, credibility, and parasocial relationship positively impact brand engagement, enhancing purchase intention towards vegan products. Additionally, we found that brand engagement with micro-influencers leads to purchase intention more effectively than with meso-influencers. This study offers novel insights that can assist in deciding the effectiveness of the type of influencers- Micro vs meso, in creating effective vegan communications and its adoption. Understanding these characteristics would help marketers of vegan brands to make optimal communication decisions. It would facilitate influencers in identifying ways to position themselves better and promote a green future by promoting veganism.

Chhabra, S., Wani, T. A., & Kaushal, V. (2025). Micro or meso: Do influencers influence veganism? Journal of Marketing Communications. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13527266.2025.2470982#libraryItemId=17797710

Objective

To determine the effect of online sustainable nutrition education (SNE) on sustainable eating behaviors and anthropometric measurements in women.

Design

In the research, a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used for groups that were subjected to two different trainings.

Sample

In the education group, 34 and in the control group, 51 women that between the ages of 19–50 years from six Women’s Education and Culture Centers of Ankara Altındağ Municipality.

Intervention

After the pretest, the Healthy Nutrition Education (HNE) group received one session of education on “healthy eating” in the second week of the study, while the SNE group received one session of education on “healthy eating” in the second week and “sustainable nutrition” in the third and fourth weeks. Participants were given SNE and its effectiveness was evaluated after 10 weeks.

Results

At the end of 10 weeks, body fat percentage decreased significantly from 35.0 ± 6.7 to 33.7 ± 6.8 in the SNE group (p = 0.007). In addition, muscle mass (kg) increased significantly from 43.4[6] to 44.7[5.2] in the SNE group (p = 0.001). When covariance analysis was performed by correcting for body mass index, the group factor had an effect on body fat percentage and muscle mass (p = 0.035 and p = 0.007, respectively). After 10 weeks, the SNE group had a higher Sustainable and Healthy Eating Behaviors Scale mean score (p = 0.013), seasonal foods and avoiding food waste (p = 0.044), animal health (p = 0.003), reducing meat consumption (p = 0.022), healthy and balanced nutrition (p = 0.031), and low fat (p < 0.001) scores compared to HNE group.

Conclusions

The dissemination of structured nutrition education for women is important for individuals and, thus, society to acquire and maintain positive eating practices that have an impact on physical health.

Şahin-Bodur, G., Tunçer, E., Duman, E., Yilmaz, S., & Keser, A. (2025). Online education on sustainable nutrition affects women’s sustainable eating behavior and anthropometric measures. Public Health Nursing, 42(3), 1354–1364. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.13548

Animal agriculture is associated with environmental and animal-welfare harms. Past studies on meat-reduction messaging have only tested small sets of messages, often without incentives, making it difficult to determine what works best. We conducted a large online experiment in which 4,871 Americans were shown unique presentations randomly constructed from 14 content modules (animal suffering, environment, health, etc.). We then elicited participants’ valuation for a meat product and a plant-based product for real stakes. We find that the average presentation increased the relative valuation of the plant- based product by $10.05, but there is much heterogeneity in the effect based on message content and sample. The weakest modules’ effects on the most resistant subpopulation are only 44% of the average treatment effect, but the strongest module’s effects on the most persuadable subpopulation are 204% of the average.

Thomas-Walters, L., Anthis, J., & Tasoff, J. (2025). Optimized messaging shifts choices towards plant-based food. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5184250

Meat consumption negatively impacts ecological sustainability, health, and animal welfare. Research suggested promising effects of re-designing product arrangements so that vegetarian items become the default. However, whether default nudging leads to actual behaviour change in the context of meat consumption, and whether these effects are sustainable on the long-term remains unknown. Therefore, this field experiment investigated (a) the effect of vegetarian default nudging on food choices in a real-life setting, and (b) potential long-term associations between vegetarian defaults, food choices, and psychological resistance (i.e., reactance and inertia). A vegetarian default intervention was applied in a university cafeteria. Behavioural data (cafeteria sales data regarding meat and vegetarian purchases; N = 4,099) was collected before (T0; baseline), right after implementation (T1), and 10 weeks after implementation of the intervention (T2). Additionally, survey data was collected at T1 and T2 to assess potential psychological side-effects, such as resistance to the intervention. Results indicate that vegetarian default nudging was highly effective at changing food choices, with more than twice the number of vegetarian items sold relative to baseline. Moreover, in the default nudging condition, the number of meat items decreased to less than a third of the baseline measurement. At the same time, the survey data revealed no psychological side-effect of the intervention on reactance or inertia. This was stable over time. Our research offers empirical support for the effectiveness of a non-coercive strategy to change consumer behaviour towards more sustainable, animal friendly, and healthier food choices.

Ardesch, T. F., Klaperski-van Der Wal, S., Nijssen, S. R. R., & Müller, B. C. N. (2025). Reducing meat consumption through default nudging: A field study. Frontiers in Psychology. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1439641/abstract#libraryItemId=17759866

Wider adoption and maintenance of vegetarian diets would be mutually beneficial for human and environmental health. Social networks have been identified as a factor that would support this transition. While social networks’ role in vegetarian diet adoption has been studied, their role in vegetarian diet maintenance over time has received much less attention. To address this gap, we investigated the extent to which having vegetarian close ties (family members and/or partners) was related to participants’ likelihood of eating vegetarian. Data were derived from Lifelines, a large cohort study from the northern Netherlands (n = 60,639). Two assessments an average of 3.9 years apart were used. We studied the interaction of close ties’ diet trajectories (either vegetarian or omnivore) at baseline and follow-up, and their relationship to participants’ own diet trajectories at baseline and follow-up. Mixed multinomial logistic regression was used to account for clustering among families. Participants closely mirrored their close ties’ diet trajectories. Having close ties who were vegetarians at baseline and follow-up was associated with the highest probability of the participants themselves also eating vegetarian at both assessments (Pr = 0.08, 95 % CI: 0.07–0.08). In contrast, participants with no vegetarian close ties at baseline and follow-up were the least likely to be vegetarians themselves at both assessments (Pr = 0.02, 95 % CI: 0.02–0.02). Partners particularly had a strong influence on participants’ diet trajectories compared to other family members. It appears that the closer the tie was, the more closely diet trajectories paralleled each another. More broadly, leveraging social networks could be effective in encouraging more widespread adoption and maintenance of vegetarian diets.

Thompson, K., Zhu, Y., & Moore, S. (2025). Social networks’ role in vegetarian diet adoption and maintenance: A prospective study from the northern Netherlands. Appetite, 107951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.107951

Although scientists have been researching the impacts of organic agriculture on the environment and animal welfare for decades, the conclusions drawn by the scientific community remain controversial. Against this background, this paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the benefits of organic farming in both areas by analysing results of all relevant scientific comparative studies between organic and conventional farming that have dealt with this topic over the last thirty years. So far, this study is the largest one of its kind and the first one that adds the aspect of animal welfare to a comprehensive array of impact categories. The systematic review of the scientific literature from pairwise comparisons found that organic management showed clear advantages over conventional management in the fields of environmental protection and resource conservation, which can be mainly explained by the system approach pursued in organic farming. No clear conclusion was drawn regarding animal welfare indicating that farm-specific management factors are of greater importance than the production system (organic vs conventional). Consequently, organic farming may contribute to solving current environmental and resource challenges and is rightly considered a key approach for sustainable land use. The positive effects should be further strengthened by decreasing the yield gaps between organic and conventional farming, i.e. by improving yields based on organic principles as well as by altering their relevance through changes in consumption as feed for livestock and food for humans.

Sanders, J., Brinkmann, J., Chmelikova, L., Ebertseder, F., Freibauer, A., Gottwald, F., Haub, A., Hauschild, M., Hoppe, J., Hülsbergen, K.-J., Jung, R., Kusche, D., Levin, K., March, S., Schmidtke, K., Stein-Bachinger, K., Treu, H., Weckenbrock, P., Wiesinger, K., … Heß, J. (2025). Benefits of organic agriculture for environment and animal welfare in temperate climates. Organic Agriculture. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13165-025-00493-w

Rapid dietary change to more plant-based diets and reduced animal products consumption is a powerful leverage for plummeting the environmental and climate impacts of food habits, key to achieve international agreements’ targets on climate and biodiversity. Current eating patterns are shifting towards affluent diets high in sugar, fats, animal-source foods, highly processed products and empty calories. Nutritionally inadequate diets and reduced physical activity rates drive the incidence of overweight and non-communicable diseases, while increasing anthropogenic pressures on the environment.

While the optimal composition of more sustainable and healthy diets has been extensively studied, the current stage of food systems from which their transformation should begin remains underexplored. In this study, we present a statistical analysis of dietary patterns from 1970 to 2021 of 189 countries and 17 essential foods. We examine the evolution of dietary energy intake along with gross domestic product, both at global and country scale, to identify transitions in countries’ food demand and highlight heterogeneities from the global pattern.

Our analysis extends the concept of the nutrition transition from a country process to a globally emerging one, characterized by increasing animal-products caloric intake and declining dietary energy supplied by cereals and plant-based foods. Consistently across high-income countries, the prevalence of sugars in diets declines of 27% towards healthier intakes. Among these countries, we identify transitions in dietary energy supply from animal products to cereals and, less frequently, plant-based foods, providing novel evidence for a reconfiguration of diets towards a reduced reliance on animal-foods, potentially suggesting the onset of a new phase in the nutrition transition.

Bryant, C. (2025). British meat production: Perceptions vs reality. Bryant Research. https://bryantresearch.co.uk/insight-items/british-meat-perceptions-reality/#libraryItemId=17615170

Issues with current food systems have been problematised through various lenses, including concerns about the dominance of intensively produced animal-source foods (ASFs) or ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in diets on health, environmental sustainability and/or justice grounds. In this commentary, we argue that there is value in adopting a more common framing and approach for these food systems issues based on the understanding that ASFs and UPFs are interlinked manifestations of financialised food systems prioritising the interests of a select few large corporations and their shareholders. Firstly, we outline some of the common drivers of the proliferation of UPFs and ASFs in current food systems, including a regulatory environment that prioritises the interests of large corporations and financiers above other considerations. Based on ecological regulation theory, we then propose multi-sectoral policy options and collective actions to improve both human and planetary health. These include (but are not limited to): re-orienting agricultural subsidies toward more agroecological operations; prioritising equity-focused measures, such as a universal basic income; land use value taxes; and revitalising competition policy to address agri-food industry consolidation. Implementing the proposed actions will likely require strong coordination and advocacy from various civil society groups. We suggest that a framing centred on financialised food systems may create space for allies to mobilise and effectively draw on collective resources, including public health, food sovereignty alliances, labour unions, farmers, small-scale agri-food businesses and retailers, consumer groups, animal welfare groups, governments without vested interests, and intergovernmental organisations.

Sievert, K., Wood, B., Gajurel, H., Johnson, H., Percival, R., Northcott, T., Sacks, G., & Parker, C. (2025). Common leverage points to address the health, environmental sustainability, and justice challenges of financialised food systems. Food Ethics. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41055-025-00170-4#libraryItemId=17798014

The global food system is responsible for up to a third of greenhouse gas emissions and is a major cause of biodiversity loss. A low-emission food system transition towards more plant-rich diets is urgently needed in the EU to mitigate environmental crises including climate change. Linking global physical input-output models with public agro-economic data reveals that animal-sourced food (ASF) dominates EU agriculture, consuming the majority of agricultural land, Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies, fixed assets, and farm employment, while contributing disproportionally to greenhouse gas emissions, net farm profits, and caloric intake. ASFs account for most EU food-related greenhouse gas emissions (84%) yet provide only a fraction of the dietary calories (35%) and proteins (65%), highlighting their inefficiency.

Dietary shifts away from ASFs would free up significant agricultural land and CAP subsidies, unlocking opportunities for alternative land uses, such as rewilding, and CAP budget redirection to support plant-based alternatives. However, transitioning to more plant-rich diets could also lead to the stranding of ASF-related assets, currently evaluated at €258 billion (78% of all agricultural fixed assets). Our findings suggest that as agricultural assets depreciate over time, a systemic phase-out of ASF-related assets without further investments, would leave minimal residual value and limit the risk of stranded assets.

Kortleve, A., Mogollón, J., & Behrens, P. (2025). EU food system transformations. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9686

The UK set up almost one factory farm per week between 2017 and 2022, according to shocking numbers in a report by World Animal Protection. The report reflects the bleak reality of meat production in a country which considers itself a leader in animal welfare.

Giordano, V., Tuninetti, M., & Laio, F. (2025). Shifting away from animal-source calories in high-income countries contrasts global nutrition transition patterns. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-10698

The production of high-quality food needs to increase to feed the growing global population. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) systems in a vertical farm setting—in which several layers are stacked above each other, thus increasing the area for growth—can substantially boost productivity for crops, algae, mushrooms, fish, insects, and cultured meat. These systems are independent of climate, weather, and region, offering reduced environmental impact, although they come with high energy demands. An easy-to-understand, quantitative performance assessment of the theoretical potential for these 6 CEA systems is proposed here. It compares them against the world’s main food production system: field production of maize, wheat, rice, and soybean. CEA could play a pivotal role in the global food supply if efficiencies in energy, control of growth environments, and waste stream utilization are vastly improved. Technological advancements, targeted policy support and public engagement strategies will be necessary to significantly reduce production costs and increase public acceptance.

Calvo-Baltanás, V., Vilcinskas, A., Brück, T., Kloas, W., Wilke, T., Rufino, M., Henkel, M., Zorn, H., Monje, O., & Asseng, S. (2025). The future potential of controlled environment agriculture. PNAS Nexus. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf078

Introduction: Several studies have highlighted the benefits of pet ownership on physical and psychological health. The literature has suggested that having a close relationship with an animal could enhance levels of empathy and reduce speciesism. However, little research has tried to explore the effects of attachment to a companion animal in childhood. This research sought to understand how attachment to an animal during childhood could relate to differences in moral concerns towards different categories of animals. In total, three hypotheses were generated: 1) there will be a difference in moral concerns for different species of animals, 2) there will be a difference in moral concerns towards animals between participants (pet owners versus non-pet owners in childhood), and 3) the intensity of the bond with an animal companion during childhood will correlate with moral concerns towards animals in adulthood. Design and methods: This quantitative study used online self-report questionnaires among 72 participants. Hypothesis 1 used a within-subject experimental design while hypothesis 2 used a between-subject quasi-experimental design. A within-subject correlational design was used to test hypothesis 3. Results: As anticipated, all the three hypotheses were confirmed. Participants showed higher scores for companion and wild appealing animals compared to food and unappealing wild animals. Participants who were pet owners in childhood had greater moral concerns towards animals in adulthood than those who were non-pet owners in childhood, and this difference was statistically significant. Attachment and empathy were positively correlated with moral concerns towards animals, but only attachment was a significant predictor. Conclusion: This study reinforces the notion that not only pet ownership but also attachment can influence people’s moral concerns towards all animals. These findings underline the importance of combining this attachment to animals with educational programs to positively shape the way young people think not only about their pets but of all other non-human animal species.

Berger, M. L., Botté, N., Marec-Breton, N., & Smith, D. (2025, March 7). “Animals are my friends”: Exploring the relationship between animal companionship in childhood and moral concerns towards animals in adulthood. Proceedings of the 3rd International Electronic Conference on Animals. 3rd International Electronic Conference on Animals, Basel, Switzerland. https://sciforum.net/paper/view/21453#libraryItemId=17801345

The ethical considerability of nonhuman animals remains a central debate in moral philosophy, often constrained by anthropocentric frameworks that prioritize human interests and rationality. Traditional ethical theories, particularly Kantian deontology and classical utilitarianism, have historically relegated animals to mere instrumental value, denying them intrinsic worth. This paper addresses a critical gap in value theory—the absence of a rigorous philosophical foundation for recognizing nonhuman animals as moral subjects in their own right. Employing the conceptual analysis method, this study critically examines the distinction between intrinsic/inherent and extrinsic value, exploring how a value-theoretic approach can redefine our ethical obligations toward animals. Drawing on the works of Tom Regan, Peter Singer, and Paul Taylor, the paper challenges speciesist assumptions and advocates for an ethical model that extends moral status beyond human boundaries. Through insights from environmental ethics, virtue ethics, and contemporary debates on sentience, this study highlights the philosophical and practical implications of acknowledging nonhuman animals as ends in themselves. The paper concludes that embracing a non-anthropocentric perspective in moral philosophy is essential for fostering a more inclusive and just ethical order.

Metuonu, I. C.. (2025). Beyond anthropocentrism: A value-theoretic approach to nonhuman animal ethics. Journal of Advances in Education and Philosophy. https://doi.org/10.36348/jaep.2025.v09i03.007#libraryItemId=17797997

Intensive animal farming, despite its economic advantages, presents a complex socio-economic challenge with significant implications for environmental sustainability, public health, and ethical concern. While existing behavioral research on moral appeals has primarily focused on harms inflicted on animals, this study takes a different approach by examining whether emphasizing the negative impacts of factory farming on human well-being can influence attitudes and behavioral intentions. Drawing on two evolutionary frameworks—the Adaptive Conservation Rule and Morality-as-Cooperation—we tested whether highlighting human centered harms could shift perceptions of animal welfare and related behaviors. In a preregistered experiment (N = 403), participants were exposed to messages describing how factory farming disrupts different domains of cooperation, focusing on human health, labor conditions, community well-being, and environmental outcomes. We assessed moral concern for factory-farmed animals, intentions to choose more sustainable animal products, and willingness to support organizations opposing factory farming. The messages did not produce significant effects on any outcome measures. However, perceived fitness interdependence (PFI)—the extent to which individuals view their well-being as linked to that of animals—consistently predicted pro-animal and anti-factory farming outcomes. Endorsement of moral values such as Loyalty, Fairness, and Reciprocity, as well as stakeholder identity, also influenced these outcomes. These findings suggest that moral framing alone may be insufficient to shift consumer attitudes and behaviors. Instead, individual differences—particularly PFI and identity-related factors—may play a more central role in shaping responses to factory farming and should be considered in future behavioral interventions.

Kusztal, A., Misiak, M., Hare, D., Lee, K., & Jędryczka, W. (2025). Framing factory farming: Using moral messaging to emphasize shared fate of humans and factory farmed animals. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/t3szx_v1

Nature documentaries portray animal life not only on a visual level but also through voice-over narration. In many cases, animals are therein depicted as somehow human-like in terms of feelings and thoughts but also in aspects such as moral and social behavior. The question of how an either objective or animal-centered perspective of the narrator, as compared to an anthropomorphic representation of the animals, is related to recipients’ experience in terms of entertainment and persuasive effects has not yet been empirically tested in documentary media context. Therefore, hypotheses were tested in a single factorial between-subjects online study (N = 154) using two narrative versions of the otherwise same nature documentary. The results showed that a representation of animals as anthropomorphic went hand in hand with a higher perceived personal similarity with the animal. This was connected with higher empathy, which in turn positively correlated with the personal interest in the animal’s fate. Heightened interest further had a positive association, both with hedonic and eudaimonic entertainment experiences, whereby only the latter was related to more positive attitudes toward animal welfare. These were positively correlated with stronger intentions to donate to animal welfare. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Mayer, F., & Rupp, L. (2025). How anthropomorphic animal representations in nature documentaries are related to entertainment experience and persuasive effects. Psychology of Popular Media. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000595

Orcas, also known as killer whales, have been ramming sailing boats near Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, concerning the sea community and feeding hate speech. Yet, little is known about how humans perceive wild marine animals as social groups. Acknowledging the relevance of the two fundamental dimensions of social cognition – warmth (benign or ill intent) and competence (high or low ability) – we used the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and the Behaviors from Intergroup Affect and Stereotypes map to identify stereotypes, emotions, and behavioral tendencies associated with marine animals. To explore the social representation of these animals, we conducted three studies (nTotal = 761) asking a heterogeneous sample currently living in 24 different countries to rate 24 wild marine animals on warmth and competence (Study 1), report their emotions and behavioral intentions (Study 2), and report their conservation attitudes toward each animal species (Study 3). Results showed that marine animals could be represented on the four clusters advanced in the SCM, replicating stereotypic profiles like those found for human groups. Warmth and competence judgments also predicted particular emotional and behavioral tendencies along with conservation attitudes toward marine animals. Unveiling how this profiling on the bi-dimensional space relates to emotional and behavioral tendencies toward each group could inform the design of biodiversity protection-related policies as well as tailored awareness and conservation campaigns.

Godinho, S., & Garrido, M. V. (2025). Social representations, emotions, and behaviors toward marine animals: An exploratory study. Anthrozoös, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2025.2469398

Animals are an important focus of local governance. The study in this article relates how animal policymaking has progressed in New York City. The data comes from the repositories of animal-relevant legislation proposed and enacted by the city council from 1990 through 2023. A total of 183 distinct actions were identified and placed within a typology of four narratives: animal control, animal welfare, advancing human-animal interactions, and wildlife conservation. A general finding was that animal policy formulation and implementation was the responsibility of multiple governmental and nongovernmental organizations. For legislative policymaking, it was discovered that animal control was chiefly about dangerous dogs, animal welfare legislation increased markedly over time, the promotion of human-animal interactions focused on ensuring people can live with pets, and wildlife conservation was an emerging concern. The conclusion pinpoints the relevance of recognizing animal interests in cities.

Mitchell, J. (2025). Animal policymaking in New York City. Journal of Urban Affairs, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2025.2477047

2025 marks ten years since the UK Government and Parliament e-petitions system was established in a context of political dissatisfaction and disengagement with representative democracy. This article responds to calls for empirically grounded research about the mechanisms that connect citizens to their representative institutions by focussing on parliamentary e-petitions as a popular tool for citizen engagement with political processes. It presents findings from qualitative research with animal welfare e-petition creators, campaigners, and the MPs who supported them to highlight the role played by petitioners themselves in ensuring that their voices are heard. It also considers the ‘added value’ of e-petitions as a political campaigning tool from the perspective of petitioners by highlighting the spillover effects that arise from using an e-petition system that has formal ties to parliament. In doing so this article makes novel contributions to understandings of political participation via institutionally facilitated democratic innovations.

Martin, L. (2025). E-petitioning Parliament: Understanding the connections between citizens and the UK Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1093/pa/gsaf003

This report contains a comprehensive analysis of the current EU political landscape and its implications for farmed animal welfare policy advancement. This assessment, authored by Neil Dullaghan (Senior Research Manager), examines the significant shifts in the EU’s political environment following recent elections and institutional changes, providing strategic insights for advocates and funders working in this space. Our analysis identifies:

Key political developments affecting animal welfare policy prospects in the current term

Strategic opportunities within the evolving EU policy framework

Critical timeline considerations for effective advocacy

Resource allocation recommendations to maximize impact

Dullaghan, N. (2025). EU farmed animal welfare policy: Strategic assessment. Rethink Priorities. https://rethinkpriorities.org/research-area/eu-farmed-animal-welfare-policy-strategic-assessment-2025/#libraryItemId=17692261

The UK government is seeking new food trade partners post-Brexit, with a focus on international meat trade to ensure supply chain stability while minimizing economic, environmental, and social damages. A UK Meat Trade-centred World Input-Output Model (UK-MTWIO) is developed with an innovative RAS method to assess the multiple impacts of different meat import scenarios. The results highlight the interdependence of meat types within the UK agricultural sector and the effects on other countries. Environmentally, most scenarios show the potential for reducing GHG emissions in the global agricultural sector. As for animal welfare, the UK can get higher animal welfare performance under beef import scenarios but suffer animal welfare losses with other scenarios. These findings underscore the intricate relationship between environmental, economic, and animal welfare impacts of global food trade. Policymakers should take a comprehensive approach and collaborate with all trading partners toward a more ethical and sustainable future.

Wang, K., Chenoweth, J., Morse, S., Liang, S., Zheng, B., & Liu, L. (2025). The trilateral effects of post-brexit UK meat imports: Economic, environmental, and animal welfare. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 216, 108171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108171

Background & aims

The accumulation of health knowledge may motivate the development of long-term healthy behavior in secondary school ages. The present investigation aimed to assess the health interests and knowledge of secondary school pupils following different types of diets.

Methods

The From Science 2 School study was developed with a cross-sectional design. Pupils of secondary school levels I and II were invited to complete an online survey with questions on the individual, physical activity, nutrition, and health. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-squared tests were used in the statistical analysis.

Results

A basic sample of 8845 participants completed the survey. Following data clearance, 8799 pupils (aged 15.1 years; 63.1 % girls, 36.9 % boys) were eligible for the final analysis. Pupils followed a mixed diet (n = 8164; 92.8 %) vegetarian diet (n = 493; 5.6 %), or vegan diet (n = 142; 1.6 %). Girls were more likely to consume a vegetarian (n = 429; 87 %) or vegan diet (n = 108; 76 %; p < 0.01). The vegetarian and vegan subgroups were more frequently interested in health and nutrition (p < 0.01) but similar for interest in physical activity and sports (p > 0.05). A higher prevalence of overweight and obesity was found among the mixed diet subgroup (n = 987; 12.1 %; p < 0.01).

Conclusion

This is the first study to assess health interests and knowledge in school pupils following vegetarian and vegan diets. The results indicate that following a vegetarian or vegan type of diet during childhood and adolescence is associated with a higher level of health knowledge and nutritional understanding.

Tanous, D. R., Ruedl, G., Drenowatz, C., Kirschner, W., Wirnitzer, G., Schätzer, M., & Wirnitzer, K. C. (2025). Comparison of health interests and knowledge among 8,799 secondary school pupils following mixed, vegetarian, and vegan diets. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 67, 311–320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2025.03.043

Drawing upon previous studies showing that food choices were related to cognitive style, and using a preregistered large-scale national survey (N > 46,000), we replicated the finding that a reflective cognitive style was inversely linked to meat consumption. Moreover, we showed that meat excluders motivated by animal welfare displayed a less reflective cognitive style than those motivated by environmental concern. Self-attributed intelligence (SAI) was similarly related to diet choice and motivation for vegetarianism. SAI was higher among vegetarians/vegans compared to omnivores, and higher among vegetarians/vegans for the environment compared to vegetarian/vegans for animals. These results were independent of participants’ gender, age, and education. This study thereby confirmed the relevance of using cognitive style to analyze real-life issues with consequential effects on human activity and planetary health and may inform strategies aimed at increasing the popularity of plant-based diets.

Bègue, L., & Vezirian, K. (2025). Meatless but not mindless: Cognitive style, meat exclusion and the role of underlying motives. Food Quality and Preference, 129, 105496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105496

The use of animals in ceremonial contexts is universal. Throughout history, across cultures, in both religious and secular settings, animals are often seen as mere symbols rather than as individuals with the capacity to be harmed in ritual performances. While some ritualized uses of animals are unquestionably cruel (e.g., the Islamic ritual sacrifice of sheep at Eid al-Adha), the morality of other uses (e.g., the ritual release of animals at Buddhist festivals) is less certain. This article examines what stance animal advocates should take toward the ritualized release of animals, arguing that, on the whole, the inclusion of animals in ritual activity perpetuates the misguided and anthropocentric notion that animals are instruments for human use. Since ritualized animal release is a prominent feature of Buddhist tradition, this article pays particular attention to the effects of “merit-making” ceremonies on animals across Asia.

Javanaud, K. (2025). Should animal advocates support the ritualized release of sentient beings? Journal of Animal Ethics. https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jane/article-abstract/15/1/1/398885/Should-Animal-Advocates-Support-the-Ritualized?redirectedFrom=fulltext#libraryItemId=17798005

Purpose: Dietary supplements may ensure an adequate intake of nutrients of concern in all diets. Supplementation behavior and expenditures in vegetarians and vegans, however, have been rarely discussed in the literature. Methods: We reviewed supplementation expenditures in a cohort of 115 healthy adult German vegans, lacto-ovo-vegetarians and omnivores, characterized by comparable sociodemographic data. Supplementation behavior (excluding protein supplements) was re-analyzed to estimate yearly supplementation expenditures by dietary group. Results: The number of total supplements and multivitamin supplements taken differed significantly between the 3 groups (P = .016 and .026, respectively). Median number (interquartile range) of reported supplements in vegans was n = 2.5 (3), n = 2 (1) in lacto-ovo-vegetarians and n = 1 (2) in omnivores. Yearly supplementation expenses in supplementing participants ranged from .66€ to 1566.50€. They were highest in vegans (53.81€), followed by omnivores (29.30€) and lacto-ovo-vegetarians (12.05€) (P = .013). Approximately 40% of participants spent more than 50 Euros per year on supplements. A strong association between supplement expenses and the number of reported supplements was found (Spearman’s rho: .65, P < .001). The most frequent supplements were vitamin D (vegetarians/omnivores) and vitamin B12 (vegans). Conclusions: Supplements were widely used in our study population, with substantial differences in expenditures and risk for over-supplementation across the examined diet groups.

Herter, J., Müller, A., Niederreiter, L., Keller, M., Huber, R., Hannibal, L., & Storz, M. A. (2025). Supplementation behavior and expenditures in healthy German vegans, lacto-ovo-vegetarians and omnivores: A cross-sectional study. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 15598276251319304. https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276251319305