Live Poultry Markets Beyond Veterinary Health Risks: Understanding Consumer Preferences for Live Poultry in Southwest China

Live poultry markets are veterinary health risks because of potential for zoonotic spillover of pathogens from diseased animals to humans. To control these health risks, veterinary and public health authorities have closed and restricted live poultry markets. However, market closure has been opposed or rendered infeasible by consumers who prefer to purchase live poultry. Previous scholarship has suggested this preference is due to cultural values of freshness. In this study, we present results from detailed interviews among shoppers at live poultry markets in southwest China. We argue that broader concerns about food safety and quality, rather than freshness alone, drive the demand for live poultry markets. Live poultry provide sensory information that enable shoppers to evaluate safety and quality in ways that are not possible with pre-slaughtered, refrigerated meat. Based on these findings, we suggest that veterinary interventions other than market closure should be explored to manage health risks while retaining consumer benefits of live poultry markets.