Public acceptance of methane-reducing feed additives as a pathway to enhancing dairy farming sustainability

Abstract

This study aims to explore public acceptance of methane-reducing feed additives in the dairy sector and to examine how information influences public acceptance of these novel feeding strategies. The research focuses on European citizens' responses to 3 methane-mitigating feed additives: (1) algae or seaweed extracts, (2) plant-based oils or fats, and (3) a chemical feed additive, specifically the 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP). A survey of 3,220 participants from 4 European Union member states (Finland, France, Poland, and Ireland) provides the data for this analysis. The results reveal significant differences in public acceptance, with natural additives receiving higher levels of support compared with chemical alternatives. Furthermore, the provision of additional information was found to negatively affect the acceptance of natural feed additives, whereas it improved support for the use of the chemical feed additive. Cluster analysis further revealed that these information effects were not uniform across the population. Negative reactions to additional information on algae or plant-based oils were concentrated among segments with strong animal-welfare concerns or high conscientious consumption preferences, whereas other groups showed little change. By contrast, for chemical additives, additional information increased acceptance across most attitudinal clusters. These findings suggest that public resistance to chemically derived additives such as 3-NOP may pose a barrier to their implementation. Information campaigns, if not carefully framed, could inadvertently reduce acceptance, highlighting the need for differentiated policy and communication strategies tailored both to the type of additive and to the specific consumer clusters most sensitive to information framing when promoting methane mitigation in the dairy sector.