Farm animal welfare in an economic context

Consumers show a growing interest in the quality of agricultural products and the manner of production and distribution, including issues such as animal welfare, food safety and environmental pollution. Demands of this type refer to a large extent to the upstream farm stages of the so-called supply chain, requiring that those consumer preferences be incorporated in all stages involved. To anticipate this development, the potential structural and economic effects on the stages of the supply chain should be explored. Regarding product development policies, trade-offs have to be made between preferences and profitability. This paper elaborates on animal welfare in the pork chain, including the evaluation of its perception and economic