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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Beth ClarkORCiD, Dr Amy Proctor, Dr Albert BoaiteyORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
This paper presents a novel perspective on an evolving policy area. The UK’s withdrawal from the EU has led to the creation of a new Agriculture Act and proposals for significant changes to the way farming subsidies are structured in England. Underpinned by a ‘public money for public goods’ approach, where public goods are those outputs from the farm system which are not rewarded by markets, yet which provide benefits to many members of society. New schemes include the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, where certain aspects of farm animal health and welfare (FAHW) will be subsidised through government support, raising a much-debated issue in the literature regarding the representation of FAHW as a public good. For policy to be responsive to societal demands and accountable to citizens, understanding public attitudes and preferences towards FAHW as a public good, and how the public might prioritise this in relation to a wider suite of environmental public goods from farming, is important. An online survey of 521 members of the UK public was conducted and analysed with descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression. Findings reveal low awareness of the changing agricultural policy context, but strong support for public money being used to provide public goods, particularly for FAHW. Findings also indicate a need for more effective public communication of farming and FAHW issues from farming stakeholders to ensure public policy in this domain is responsive and accountable to its citizens. Further work is needed to inform future debates and engagement surrounding FAHW, including through which combination of funding mechanisms (public or private) it is provided.
Author(s): Clark B, Proctor A, Boaitey A, Mahon N, Hanley N, Holloway L
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Agriculture and Human Values
Year: 2024
Pages: ePub ahead of Print
Online publication date: 30/05/2024
Acceptance date: 25/04/2024
Date deposited: 10/06/2024
ISSN (print): 0889-048X
ISSN (electronic): 1572-8366
Publisher: Springer Nature
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-024-10585-0
DOI: 10.1007/s10460-024-10585-0
Data Access Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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