Knowledge and attitudes to factory farming practices in the UK and US (Social Change Lab)

This report contains an executive summary, which is reproduced below.

Executive summary

This report presents findings from a public opinion survey on factory farming conducted in the UK and US by Social Change Lab for Project Slingshot. The research reveals significant public opposition to factory farming practices, despite the low salience of the issue. There are substantial knowledge gaps about most very common, current farming practices. However - a point of potential leverage - more accurate knowledge of these practices is associated with stronger opposition to them.

Key findings show that 56% of UK respondents and 45% of US respondents support a ban on factory farming; those who are neutral on the issue are similar in both countries (UK 22%, US 25%) meaning that relatively small minorities (UK 22%, US 30%) would oppose such a ban. These numbers are surprisingly consistent across all demographic and political groups. However, factory farming ranks very low in people's views of the nation's priorities, with just 1% naming it among the top three issues facing the country. The research identifies a key insight for mobilisation: the more people know about factory farming practices, the more they care and oppose factory farming. So both raising salience and improving knowledge about the prevalence of unacceptable practices are key to making progress. The group with the highest mobilisation potential, based on this research, are the health-conscious middle-classes.

Keywords: animal advocacy, animal agriculture, animal welfare, big agriculture, factory farming, farmed animal welfare, free-range, meat industry trust, organic farming, social movements