GREENFIELD, Ind. (July 11, 2023) – The “great divide” between beef producers and the consumers who enjoy their product, may not be so great, after all. Elanco Animal Health recently conducted comprehensive surveys among producers and consumers revealing that both audiences:
- Indicate environmental sustainability is important to them
- Are willing to make decisions and take steps to improve environmental sustainability
- Support the role of safe innovation in improving the sustainability of beef
In addition to these shared values, the surveys further show that consumers have a high degree of trust in those who produce their beef. In fact, 78% indicate they trust cattle ranchers to ensure food safety. Feedyard managers also have above-average trust at 69%, compared to lower-ranking entities like social media influencers at 37%.
The findings were gathered from national quantitative surveys of 1,200 meat-eating consumers and 46 feedlot owners/managers from major cattle-producing states. Among the feedlot operators surveyed, more than half feed 20,000-head of cattle or more annually. Additional qualitative interviews and online focus groups were conducted to supplement the quantitative findings.
“Our research points to a universal truth that when it comes to environmental sustainability, it boils down to continual improvement,” said Katie Cook, Vice President, Farm Animal Innovation & Marketing at Elanco. “For producers, the goal is to remain financially viable while leaving their operations, the land, and their animals in a better place for the next generation. Meanwhile, consumers also want the environment to be left in better shape and are willing to do their part – even if it’s in small ways.”
To kick-off the research, consumers were grounded in the following description of sustainability: Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. There are environmental, social and economic aspects to this definition. The language was well-received among consumers, with nearly 2 in 3 of those surveyed (65%) finding the definition somewhat or very appealing.
Meanwhile, 80% of surveyed producers agree on the importance of their operations being sustainable. Notably, most producers view the sustainability definition through the lens of economic viability.
When it comes to taking action to support environmental sustainability, more than 3 in 4 beef consumers (78%) agree that they would be willing to make small changes to help future generations. Meanwhile, 7 in 10 consumers agree that improving the impact of beef on the planet is a shared responsibility for both consumers and producers.
The younger Gen Z audience, defined as those 18 to 24 years of age, is significantly more likely than other generations to agree that they would be willing to make small changes if they knew it would help future generations. Producers are also willing to make changes, while balancing the economic considerations. Specifically, 74% of producers surveyed said they need to better understand the financial benefits of implementing sustainability practices before adopting them or improving upon them. Similarly, 65% indicate they need research to help identify financially viable solutions that reduce the environmental footprint before adopting them.
The survey further found that price, quality and freshness are the most important factors for consumers when purchasing beef. Many consumers agree that if these factors are equal, they are likely to purchase beef raised with a product that helps to reduce cattle’s impact on the environment. To that end, consumers were shown “Product H*,” which was positioned as a feed ingredient that reduces ammonia gas emissions in beef cattle. Based on that description alone, 8 in 10 consumers indicate they were neutral to somewhat likely to buy beef from cattle given this product. Additional information the consumer would want to know about the product included knowing that the feed ingredient was safe for the animal and effective in delivering positive environmental benefits; and beef from the animal fed this product was safe, had no long-term health effects, and was priced at a comparable price point.
About 2 in 5 feedlots express strong interest in incorporating innovations that would help to reduce their feedlot’s environmental impact, with a statistically significant increase in interest among feedlots feeding a majority of company-owned cattle. In particular, feedlot operators indicate that they would be most interested in an innovation that does not negatively impact cattle performance, while contributing to environmental sustainability.
“Our research indicates that both producers and consumers are willing to accept innovations that can help improve sustainability,” said Cook. “As a leader in animal health, our goal is to continue to walk alongside our customers and the beef industry to add value and offer innovative products and solutions to help build the next era of livestock sustainability.”
For additional research findings, please visit www.experiorbeef.com to download the Leave it Better Beef Sustainability Perspectives report.
