More Australians understand that farming communities would suffer without the live export trade, a new survey has found.
Strengthened community sentiment regarding live exports was found to slightly improve in the past two years, as the industry understands the best ways to build trust.
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The second in a series of surveys commissioned by LiveCorp and Meat & Livestock Australia provided an opportunity to compare results from 2019.
Voconiq CEO Kieren Moffat, who conducted the research, said live exports were often considered through a single lens, and this work aims to broaden the discussion.
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"There is even stronger recognition than in the 2019 survey of the benefit of live exports to people living overseas; improving diet and nutrition, supporting food security by providing breeding stock, and exporting know-how and technology along with livestock," Dr Moffat said.
"More Australians also understand the economic benefit of the trade to the domestic economy, and that farming communities would suffer without it.
"When asked if the industry should stop exporting animals regardless of the impact on Australian farmers, slightly more respondents disagreed than agreed. Weighing up the costs and benefits of the industry, this value proposition has strengthened slightly over the past two years."
However, Dr Moffat said animal welfare was still very important, and what happened on live export ships, and once animals arrive overseas, were the primary areas of concern to the community.
"Having said that, Australians agree that animal welfare is a complex issue, and general sentiment regarding the industry's treatment of animals has improved," Dr Moffat said.
"This research helps the live export industry tease apart the community's views and identify ways to have a constructive conversation about the complex environment in which it operates."
The second survey went into the field in September, October and November 2021 with 4411 responses collected via an online research panel of Australians over the age of 18.
LiveCorp CEO Wayne Collier said they'd been working hard over the past two years to increase the amount of information available about the industry, after the first survey highlighted a lot of uncertainty towards live exports.
"There's still work to be done, however, as it's clear from the latest survey that many people still don't know what happens once the animals leave Australia in particular, and that contributes to their concern," he said.
"We're encouraging people who work in all parts of the industry to speak up about what they do, and why, to help dispel myths and create greater understanding.
"This is even more important, as a new measure in this survey shows that Australians are more positive about live exports if they know people who work in rural industries.
"Findings like these highlight the guidance being provided by this project, helping industry to target investment in research and extension and engage in conversations with the community on the areas of most importance to them."
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