As purchase power and consumption knowledge increase, consumers gradually demand safer and healthier products. Animal welfare is expected to be an important attribute of high-end food in the future and a major concern for the high-quality development of the livestock industry. The objective was to shed new light on our understanding of consumers' perceptions and behavioral intentions toward animal-friendly food. Using sample data of 1499 food consumers in Guangdong province, China, this study explored the role of product cognition and empathy in the relationship between consumers' knowledge and behavioral intentions. Results indicate that knowledge of animal welfare significantly influences consumers' behavioral intentions, and there is a mediating effect on cognition. Meanwhile, empathy moderates the relationship between product cognition and consumers' intentions to purchase or recommend animal-friendly products. Improving consumers' knowledge of animal welfare and cognitive levels of animal-friendly products may contribute to promoting animal-friendly product consumption and sustainable development of the livestock industry.
Keywords: animal welfare; behavioral intention; empathy; knowledge; product cognition.