Concern for the welfare of farm animals has been much debated in academic circles. However, for animal welfare to be broadly applied on rural properties it is necessary that there be consumer demand for this special product. The main objective of this study therefore, was to assess the level of awareness among consumers of animal products in Fortaleza, Ceará, of the welfare of livestock, and also their willingness to pay for products that take into account the issues of animal welfare. For this purpose, a questionnaire containing ten questions on the subject of animal welfare was administered to a total of 216 randomly-selected respondents, taking into account the sex, age, level of education and family income of those selected. The data collected were analysed using percentages and the chi-square test, a non-parametric test of significance. The results showed that most consumers do not have sufficient knowledge on issues related to animal welfare, but believe that different rearing methods can result in improvements in the final product. Consumers in Fortaleza are willing to pay more for better quality products and are interested in products being certified in order to ensure their final quality.
Production chain; Certification; Animal ethics
