Date: 2008-11-14

The UK charity which prevents cruelty and promotes kindness to alleviate the suffering of animals, has conducted a study into the trends of ethical shoppers – labelling two burgeoning groups as COWS and EWES.

EWES stands for Ethical When Easy, and refers to shoppers who are more than happy to pop welfare-friendly chicken and other ethically-sourced meat products into their baskets when it’s clearly labelled and accessible in the supermarkets, but who are inclined to quickly ditch their ethical principles if there’s not an easy option to hand.

COWS on the other hand, which stands for Crusaders Of Welfare, are devoted to their ethical values. They spend time looking through options available in supermarket until they lay their hands on a welfare option. If an ethical alternative can’t be found, they speak to store managers and even make their preferences known when dining at friends’ houses and restaurants – questioning the latter on the source of their produce.

It seems the type of product is also important. Over half of respondents said they choose welfare eggs - perhaps in part due to TV documentaries, such as Jamie’s Fowl Dinners – in which TV chef Jamie Oliver exposed the appalling conditions of battery farmed hens. However, the credit crunch still has an impact, with shoppers particularly tempted by supermarket offers on produce such as meat and salmon.

The research, which was conducted as part of RSPCA Freedom Food Farm Animal Week which ran from 22nd to 28th September, aims to illustrate how shoppers’ eating habits have knock-on consequences for farm animals and their welfare.

Leigh Grant, a spokesperson for the RSPCA’s Freedom Food, said: "Just by making changes to our shopping and eating habits we can affect the way farm animals are reared. If more people go out of their way to choose or ask for welfare-friendly food such as RSPCA Freedom Food labelled products, more of the 900 plus million animals reared for food each year in the UK will be raised to higher welfare standards, farmers will be rewarded for their efforts and others will be encouraged to follow suit."

References: RSPCA
The RSPCA publishes an informative guide on everyday branded products which contain free-range eggs, such as cakes, mayonnaise, ice cream, custards and quiche. The guide also lists restaurants and fast food chains which use free-range eggs. To read click here


Further Reading
• DEFRA
•The Battery Hen Welfare Trust
• Welfare Meat