Consumer willingness to pay for beef meat in a developing country: The effect of information regarding country of origin, price and animal handling prior to slaughter

Considering the importance that animal welfare has attained in developed countries, a personal interview of 770 regular meat buyers in the Bio-Bio and Araucanía regions of Chile was conducted to determine the importance of information regarding animal treatment prior to slaughter in the decision-making process when buying beef, to discover the willingness to pay more for this attribute and to distinguish different buyer segments. Using a conjoint analysis design, those surveyed were asked to put eight products in order according to their preference, given the following alternatives: domestic or imported beef, with or without information on animal treatment prior to slaughter and two price options. Origin and information regarding animal treatment were more important than price. Animal welfare is perceived as a desirable condition, but consumers are not willing to pay significantly more when buying meat in order to gain information about animal handling. Through a cluster analysis, four segments were distinguished in each region, with consumers who consider origin as the most important attribute predominating.