Consumer Attitudes in Germany towards Different Dairy Housing Systems and Their Implications for the Marketing of Pasture Raised Milk

There is currently much debate surrounding the housing systems for dairy cattle. Large farms, which represent a growing share of the dairy farms, prefer indoor housing systems whereas smaller farms concentrate on low-input systems by giving extended pasture access to milk cows. A consumer survey from 2013 with 1,009 German consumers dealt with consumers' attitudes towards outdoor and indoor systems as well as quality aspects of food. A factor and a cluster analysis are used to reduce the complexity and identify different consumer clusters. The results give recommendations for farmers, constructors of animal sheds, agricultural technology and the processing dairy industry concerning strategic decisions.