Ever been to a dairy farm? Testing the effect of virtual farm tours on consumers’ perceptions of livestock production

Public trust in animal production in Europe has declined in recent years, with consumers increasingly concerned about animal welfare and viewing intensive dairy farming negatively, as extensively reported in scientific literature. In the frame of the AWare project, which aims to explore ways of making information about livestock production more transparent to consumers, this study investigates the impact of 360° immersive videos taken on a dairy cattle farm on consumer perceptions of farming practices. A convenience sample was recruited through a survey implemented on the Qualtrics online survey platform. Only respondents who had consumed or purchased milk in the two months prior to the interview and older than 18 years old were selected (n= 62). The online questionnaire comprised several sections. The first section presented three 360° immersive videos depicting key moments in the daily routine of a dairy cow (feeding, resting and milking) were presented to participants. Participants could choose whether or not to watch the videos. Following the videos, respondents answered a series of close-ended questions related to their perception and feelings about the immersive video content, their knowledge and familiarity with dairy farming practices, their purchase behavior and consumption habits regarding milk, and socio demographic characteristics. The majority of the respondents (88%) choose to engage with the interactive videos, while 12% opted out of the immersive experience. Among those who chose not to watch the video, 75% expressed trust in farmers, believing that they knew best how to raise animals, while 25% indicated that they were concerned about seeing images that might make them feel guilty about consuming dairy products. The interviewed sample demonstrated a high level of knowledge and familiarity regarding dairy farming practices. However, 9% of respondents reported having gained comprehensive new knowledge from the 360° experience. Although preliminary, the findings suggest that immersive technology effectively enhances consumer understanding of dairy farming practices, especially for those with limited prior knowledge. This could have important implications for improving transparency in the livestock production sector and addressing consumer concerns about animal welfare.