Once a year since 2016, the Animal Rights Center has used a general research firm to conduct a survey to determine how much is known about the status of livestock animal husbandry.
The ten questions are as follows
- Did you know that many sows are confined in gestation stalls, a narrow enclosure in which they cannot change direction?
- Did you know that many piglets are castrated and have their teeth and tails cut off without anesthesia?
- Did you know that most chickens for eggs are kept in a narrow wire mesh (about 22 cm x 22 cm per hen) called a battery cage?
- Did you know that many chickens for eggs have their beaks amputated without anesthesia?
- Did you know that chickens for meat (broilers) are being bred to grow faster and, as a result, are more susceptible to disease?
- Did you know that most dairy cows spend most of their time tied up?
- Did you know that many cows are castrated and their horns cut off without anesthesia?
- Have you ever heard of the term “animal welfare” or “animal wellbeing”?
- Did you know that heirloom or pastured eggs are sold in supermarkets?
- Do you know that breeding methods banned in Europe are being practiced in Japan?
[Survey title] Questionnaire on Livestock Animals (Meat, Eggs, Milk)
[Survey entity] NPO Animal Rights Center
[Survey period] 2025/3/17-3/24
[Number of valid responses] 2,853
[Survey design] Methodology: Internet survey using a general research company (Internet monitor)
[Survey area] Japan
FY2024 was a year in which there was no overall improvement in awareness. The only improvement was in awareness of whether heirloom eggs are sold in supermarkets.
Are you aware that heirloom or pastured eggs are sold in supermarkets? The question is: “Are you aware that heirloom or pastured eggs are sold in supermarkets? This may be due to the fact that more and more people are actually seeing them in stores as sales at supermarkets and other retailers expand, and in 2024, more and more major convenience stores will also be selling them.
None of the animal welfare issues have been resolved. The level of animal welfare that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) is aiming for is low, and the animal welfare of poultry is in such a state that it has declined significantly. More public awareness is needed, and this survey highlights that awareness in Japan has not improved.
