Abstract from UI electronic subscription., Authors use contingent valuation to determine the economic value of improving the welfare of farm animals and find that people are willing to pay extra on their weekly food bill to ensure that laying hens, broiler chickens, dairy cows and pigs have improved welfare conditions. "The benefits of improving animal welfare are shown to exceed the costs of implementing these schemes. We conclude that improving the standards of legislation for farm animal welfare so that all farm animals experience higher standards of welfare can be economically justified."