Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1510125
7 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 OCTOBER 2023 JAMES DEBONO A significant majority of Maltese residents are willing to pay more for animal-friendly farming prod- ucts, a recent Eurobarometer survey on animal welfare practic- es shows. The survey held in October inquired whether respondents were open to paying extra for products sourced from animal welfare-friendly farming systems. Only 38% of Maltese responded negatively, while 2% stated that their willingness depended on the price of the products. The percentage of Maltese un- willing to pay more closely aligns with the average for the entire European Union (37%). However, compared to eight years ago, there has been a five- point increase in the number of respondents firmly stating that they would not pay more for such products. Notably, the sharpest decline in willingness to pay extra was ob- served among those who were willing to pay 5% more of the price. In 2015, 47% were open to this, but the number has now decreased to 33%. On the oth- er hand, the proportion of those willing to pay up to 10% more has increased by 4%, as has the pro- portion of those willing to pay up to 20% more. One significant difference be- tween Maltese residents and other Europeans is their percep- tion of the availability of animal welfare-friendly food products in stores and supermarkets. While only 43% of respondents in all EU member states reported a lack of choice, this percentage rose to 62% in Malta. The Mal- tese are also less likely than other EU respondents to look for la- bels certifying that products are animal friendly. While 28% of all EU respondents do this "most of the time", only 13% of the Mal- tese do so. And while only 19% of all EU respondents never look for these labels, the percentage increases to 41% among the Mal- tese. The survey indicates that Mal- tese residents tend to disapprove of cruel agricultural practices and prioritize higher animal welfare standards. For instance, 61% of Maltese respondents find the practice of killing male ba- by chicks just after birth to be totally unacceptable, compared to 50% of respondents in all EU member states. Furthermore, 62% of Mal- tese respondents, compared to 57% of all Europeans, support a complete ban on fur farming. Additionally, 71% believe that ensuring animals are not kept in individual cages is "very impor- tant," compared to 56% of all EU respondents. 73% of Maltese re- spondents also consider banning the cutting of certain body parts of animals, such as tails, ears, beaks, testicles, and teeth, to be "very important," a view shared by 60% of EU respondents. Interestingly, Maltese resi- dents are less enthusiastic about applying EU's animal welfare standards to food imports. While 62% of all EU respondents support applying EU rules to im- ported food, only 46% of Maltese respondents share this view. In contrast, a higher proportion of Maltese respondents (33%) disa- gree with imposing EU rules on food imports but insist that all food products, regardless of ori- gin, should bear labels informing EU consumers about the welfare rules applied. 58% of Maltese willing to pay more for animal-friendly produce Malta EU 27 No 38 37 Up to 5% more 33 26 Up to 10% more 16 20 Up to 20% more 5 8 More than 20% 4 6 Depends on price of product 2 2 Don't know 2 1 Would you be willing to pay more for products sourced from animal welfare-friendly farming systems? (%)