Creating transparency with virtual stable visits

In a study, scientists investigated how to communicate transparent information about the conditions in which animals are kept.

More and more people want greater animal welfare and transparency in livestock farming. In recent years, agriculture has increasingly tried to become more transparent, for example by organising farm tours. Even if farm visits are well received by the public, they are hardly feasible for the general public for reasons of hygiene or accessibility and quickly reach their limits in practice. As an innovative approach to a solution Researchers at the University of Göttingen has now analysed the impact and potential of virtual barn tours for the first time.

A team from the Marketing for Food and Agricultural Products department recruited 17 students without an agricultural background for their qualitative study. After answering a short questionnaire, the participants watched a 360-degree video of a conventional fattening pig house via a tablet and VR glasses and then reported on their experiences in an interview.

Realistic impression

The test subjects tended to have a negative perception of the barn in terms of animal welfare. The perception depended on both the recording perspective and the media device. However, most of the participants had imagined the housing conditions to be even worse beforehand. Nevertheless, they rated the possibility of a virtual pig barn tour as very positive overall.

They saw this as a suitable tool for improving transparency and communicating information about husbandry conditions. They particularly appreciated the simple and entertaining way of receiving information via both media devices. "The VR glasses in particular conveyed a very realistic impression and were perceived as particularly entertaining, while the advantages of the tablet were seen in its easier handling," write the researchers.

Utilise potential

"Our results show that it is worth utilising and further investigating the potential of such innovative technologies. Virtual barn tours could be a particularly useful tool for use at the point of purchase, for example to communicate clearly what is behind different forms of husbandry," says Aurelia Schütz, lead author of the study.

However, as additional explanations of the barn were missing in the study, virtual barn tours should be supplemented with explanatory information.

Source: Schweizerbauer / uni-goettingen