Hidden voices of the animal industry : a study of transparency in the production chain

Abstract: The study is questioning the transparency of the animal production chain through different perspectives of the media landscape. Producers, suppliers, and consumers all meet in media outlets through campaigns, news stories and marketing, and the finalized product for purchase is often visualized more romanticized than its animal origin. The study will hopefully provide an insight to the hidden voices of the animal industry, such as small-scale businessmen who are often overlooked due to larger scale productions are often steering the market. The study has used a mixed-method model in order to triangulate both qualitative and quantitative data. The findings have clarified obstacles and advantages connected to a transparent production chain. Regarding legislation, all the participants agree that there is room for development. It is evident that media is priming consumers and to make an informed choice you need to know what to be informed about. The participating small-scale producers are active in providing transparency and making improvements, hence expressing frustration of being generalized by consumers in case of scandals. However, they are experiencing mixed signals from governmental institutions and are concerned that misconceptions from consumers will rise further due to misunderstandings of their profession with camera surveillance, and additionally lead to integrity and safety issues for the producers. The most important factors for consumers are trust, credibility, price, and accessibility when purchasing an animal commodity. Transparency would add to all of these factors, when you see and understand what you pay for, the knowledge and awareness for the industry increases.