Perceptions of ostrich welfare and ethical practices: insights from consumers, farmers and stakeholders.
- 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou, 0950, South Africa. [email protected].
- 2Department of Animal Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland, 7602, South Africa.
- 3Directorate Animal Sciences, Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Oudtshoorn, 6620, South Africa.
Abstract
This study investigated South African consumers', farmers', and industry stakeholders' perceptions of ostrich welfare using a questionnaire distributed nationwide between September 2018 and September 2019. The survey included demographic questions and assessed knowledge of ostrich husbandry, welfare priorities, and purchasing behaviors. A total of 302 participants completed the questionnaire. A Principal Component Analysis identified three principal components that explained 49.5% of the total variance: ostrich welfare priorities, knowledge of ostrich production and management, and health and ethical considerations in ostrich farming. Welfare priorities and knowledge levels were influenced by demographic factors, with farmers consistently scoring the highest on knowledge and consumers the lowest. All participants reported a modest understanding of husbandry practices but placed a high importance on welfare-related factors such as feeding, housing, health, and minimizing pain and stress. Although most participants preferred welfare-conscious products, their willingness to pay a premium was low. These findings highlight a strong welfare orientation across groups but reveal knowledge gaps and an attitude-behavior gap, suggesting opportunities for targeted education, improved industry awareness and transparency, and welfare-focused product communication.
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BibTeX
@article{bonato2026perceptions,
title = {{Perceptions of ostrich welfare and ethical practices: insights from consumers, farmers and stakeholders.}},
author = {Maud Bonato and Monique Dawson and Anel Engelbrecht and Schalk W P Cloete},
journal = {Tropical animal health and production},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s11250-026-05422-x},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902026},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Perceptions of ostrich welfare and ethical practices: insights from consumers, farmers and stakeholders.
AU - Maud Bonato
AU - Monique Dawson
AU - Anel Engelbrecht
AU - Schalk W P Cloete
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Tropical animal health and production
DO - 10.1007/s11250-026-05422-x
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42902026
AB - This study investigated South African consumers', farmers', and industry stakeholders' perceptions of ostrich welfare using a questionnaire distributed nationwide between September 2018 and September 2019. The survey included demographic questions and assessed knowledge of ostrich husbandry, welfare priorities, and purchasing behaviors. A total of 302 participants completed the questionnaire. A Principal Component Analysis identified three principal components that explained 49.5% of the total variance: ostrich welfare priorities, knowledge of ostrich production and management, and health and ethical considerations in ostrich farming. Welfare priorities and knowledge levels were influenced by demographic factors, with farmers consistently scoring the highest on knowledge and consumers the lowest. All participants reported a modest understanding of husbandry practices but placed a high importance on welfare-related factors such as feeding, housing, health, and minimizing pain and stress. Although most participants preferred welfare-conscious products, their willingness to pay a premium was low. These findings highlight a strong welfare orientation across groups but reveal knowledge gaps and an attitude-behavior gap, suggesting opportunities for targeted education, improved industry awareness and transparency, and welfare-focused product communication.
SN - 0049-4747
SN - 1573-7438
ER -