Halal is an Arabic word meaning “permissible” or “lawful,” which describes practices that align with Islamic teachings. Halal is often used to refer to guidelines for how farmed animals should be treated and animal-based foods prepared. Halal food standards are typically understood by Muslim consumers as more humane toward animals, but this perception may not match reality.

Researchers from Animetrics, an applied research organization focused on animal advocacy, conducted a survey of 788 Muslim adults in Türkiye, testing their knowledge of six practices commonly used in Turkish animal farming and permitted under halal guidelines. These practices included:

• Chick culling: The killing of male or unhealthy female chicks deemed unproductive by the intensive animal farming industry
• Debeaking: The removal or shortening of part of a bird’s beak to prevent injuries in crowded conditions
• Cow-calf separation: The practice of separating cows from their calves shortly after birth to reduce costs
• Lack of long-term medical care: Animals who are permanently injured or no longer productive aren’t required to receive long-term care and medical treatment
• Killing young animals: Animals are slaughtered before they reach the average natural lifespan for their species
• Lack of space: Chickens are kept in environments where they’re unable to express natural behaviors such as stretching, roaming, or dust-bathing

If participants answered incorrectly or stated that they didn’t know, the survey provided the correct answer. Participants were then asked whether the information they were given affected their intention to purchase products associated with these practices or to buy plant-based alternatives instead.

The survey also collected demographic information, including respondents’ levels of religiosity, knowledge of halal guidelines, and views on the treatment of animals and dietary choices in the context of Islam.

The analysis revealed six key findings. To begin with, many consumers were unaware of the practices allowed under halal standards. More than half of respondents answered incorrectly or were unsure about whether each of the six farming practices were permissible. This suggests that many consumers believe that halal guidelines offer stronger animal welfare protections than they actually do.

Awareness varied depending on the practice, but there were significant knowledge gaps around every practice. Nearly 80% of participants either incorrectly believed that halal guidelines require animals to be given long-term medical care or didn’t know whether such a requirement existed. This was the largest knowledge gap among the different practices. For the rest, between 57% and 75% of participants answered incorrectly or were unsure.

Knowledge gaps were smaller for older adults, men, and people with higher levels of education or income. Respondents who consider halal very personally important, support stunning before slaughter, think that animal welfare is essential to halal, or believe that plant-based diets are compatible with Islam also tended to be more well informed.

Once informed, consumers were often willing to act. Many participants who answered incorrectly or were uncertain stated that they would be less likely to purchase products associated with the different practices. A smaller proportion said that they would buy more plant-based alternatives.

Consumers who were incorrect expressed a greater willingness to change than those who were uncertain. Participants were more likely to state that they would change their purchasing habits if they answered incorrectly than if they simply didn’t know the correct answer. This was true for all six practices, and suggests that it’s more powerful to correct a false belief than to fill an information gap.

Consumers reacted more strongly to some farming practices than others. Debeaking was associated with the greatest willingness to change. Close to 58% of respondents who were incorrect or didn’t know about debeaking stated that they would be less likely to purchase products that involved debeaking, and nearly 42% stated that they would buy more plant-based alternatives. Cow-calf separation prompted the lowest intentions to change (44% and 32%, respectively).

Lastly, some consumer groups were more willing to change their behavior than others. Older adults, women, nonbinary individuals, and people with higher levels of education or income expressed greater intentions to change. Those who consider halal consumption very important, have greater knowledge of halal guidelines, think that animal welfare is essential to halal, think that halal methods are better for animals, or believe that plant-based diets are compatible with Islam also showed greater potential for change.

From these findings, the researchers make a number of recommendations for advocates:

• Prioritize educational interventions. Specific, accurate, and culturally grounded educational interventions could shrink knowledge gaps and steer consumers toward products that are better for animal welfare.
• Diagnose before you intervene. Some farming practices are less well known than others. Advocates can figure out where the knowledge gaps are and target those first.
• Target the most responsive practices and groups. A one-size-fits-all approach risks “speaking to everyone, and reaching no one.” Focus on the practices that elicit the strongest responses and the groups that are most willing to change.
• Prioritize correcting false beliefs over raising general awareness. A targeted “myth-busting” approach may be more effective than general awareness-raising at motivating people to act.
• Pair welfare awareness with information on plant-based alternatives and test what actually works. Once informed, consumers might simply switch to other animal products rather than reducing their consumption. Advocates can combine education on animal welfare with education on plant-based alternatives.

Because the survey measured intentions rather than actual behavior change, the results may not perfectly reflect how effective certain interventions may be. However, this study is still the first of its kind to target consumers in a Muslim-majority country, offering insights into how advocates can engage with a rapidly growing demographic that has so far been overlooked by research in the animal advocacy space.