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While eggs are considered a pantry staple in many places, Mexico currently consumes more eggs per capita than any other country in the world. Mexican consumers rely on eggs as an affordable, versatile ingredient that contains valuable nutrients. Many people express concern over hen welfare while promoting organic and other cage-free systems. Despite this, around 90% of the eggs produced in Mexico come from caged hens.

For this study, in-person surveys of 1,040 Mexican consumers were conducted in various purchasing environments, including supermarkets, retail stores, and street markets. The researchers explored three key questions:

1. What perceptions of hen welfare do consumers have?
2. What factors make people willing to pay more for cage-free eggs?
3. What are the average profiles of consumers willing to pay extra for eggs from alternative housing systems?

Similar to previous studies, the results of the surveys reinforced the idea that Mexican consumers see the welfare of hens as an important issue, with an average level of concern of 8.6 on a 10-point scale. Women, older participants (aged 50 and over), and people living with children tended to rank the importance of hen welfare highest. Interestingly, no connection was found between education level and the importance rating. This result differs from previous studies and could indicate that awareness of hen welfare is becoming more widespread across Mexican society.

With a median score of 5.0 on a five-point scale, participants strongly agreed that hens can experience pain and suffering. They also agreed that hens feel emotions and should be able to express their natural behaviors during rearing (median scores of 4.0). At the same time, participants disagreed that Mexican laws and regulations ensure hen welfare and that sufficient information is available in the country about how laying hens are raised (median scores of 2.0). They especially disagreed that the information they receive when buying eggs lets them know how the hens were raised (a median score of 1.0). When considering the vast number of laying hens raised in cages, these findings reveal a need for more education and information on typical hen housing systems and their impact on welfare.

Around 54% of the consumers surveyed would be willing to pay a premium price for cage-free eggs. The largest predictor of a person’s willingness to pay extra was education level. Participants with a university degree were about twice as likely to be willing to pay a premium, while participants with a postgraduate degree were around seven times more likely. The study mentions that this finding could be the result of increased income and greater awareness of food quality issues that stem from more education.

Although education played an important role in the willingness to pay more for cage-free eggs, there were several other factors. Participants were willing to pay a premium if they bought cage-free eggs previously or believed cage-free eggs are of higher quality than eggs from caged hens. Additionally, participants who ranked hen welfare as important and believed hens are sentient were more open to buying cage-free eggs at a higher price. The study asserts that this wide range of factors showcases the variety of attributes that consumers associate with cage-free eggs. Rather than viewing them as having a singular redeeming quality, participants see them as having an assortment of benefits.

Lastly, the researchers grouped participants willing to pay a premium price for cage-free eggs into three categories: low, medium, and high willingness-to-pay. Members of the low willingness-to-pay group (meaning they were willing to spend the least) tended to live in rural settings with little to no access to university education. These consumers were motivated to buy cage-free eggs out of a perception of better taste and higher nutrition. In contrast, members of the medium and high willingness-to-pay groups, who had access to higher education, were less focused on the egg quality and more on hen welfare.

Although the extra costs that consumers were willing to pay varied, some trends emerged across the groups. Members of the low willingness-to-pay group were willing to pay similar premiums for barn-raised and free-range eggs (a median of 10% more) but double for organic eggs (a median of 20% more). The medium and high willingness-to-pay groups were willing to pay increasing premiums when switching from barn-raised to free-range to organic eggs. The high willingness-to-pay group was willing to pay the highest premiums for all cage-free eggs — a median of 40%, 60%, and 100% more for barn-raised, free-range, and organic eggs, respectively. This is close to the actual costs of cage-free eggs in Mexico today. The researchers mention that this could be attributed to a lack of understanding about the costs of raising non-caged hens and assert that more research is needed. That being said, the study questions whether education and additional labeling will be enough to help a transition to more ethical egg production under current market conditions.

This study revealed that most Mexican consumers consider hen welfare an important topic. However, it also showed that differences in education and income can affect the willingness of consumers to pay extra for eggs from non-caged hens. The researchers argue that public policies need to be created to help reduce the cost of cage-free eggs and allow all consumers to access food that reflects their values without compromising their food security. Although more research is needed, this information is useful for animal advocates looking to understand public attitudes in Mexico towards laying hen welfare and the challenges of transitioning the country’s egg production away from cage systems.