This book investigates the economic trade-offs and ethical implications inherent in modern animal welfare practices. F. Bailey Norwood, an agricultural economist, utilizes a framework of behavioral economics and consumer research to analyze how society values animal treatment. By integrating experimental data involving real-world food choices and financial incentives, the author examines the tension between industrial efficiency and the moral costs of animal husbandry.

Experts in agricultural economics frequently cite this work for its innovative use of experimental data to quantify ethical preferences. Readers often note the accessible prose style, which balances rigorous economic methodology with the complex moral questions surrounding food production.