Research on positive emotions in pigs is revealing the capacity for joy, excitement, and satisfaction that has welfare implications for how we design pig farming systems.
The growing evidence base for positive emotional capacity in pigs fundamentally transforms the welfare agenda for pig farming. Pigs are not simply organisms to be maintained free from pain and disease — they are emotionally complex beings capable of joy, excitement, and satisfaction that a good farming environment can support. Research showing that pigs in positive states exhibit optimistic cognitive bias — making more positive judgments about ambiguous situations — provides a measurable window into their emotional lives. This evidence supports the transition from a welfare-as-absence-of-suffering framework to one that actively promotes positive pig experiences through enriched environments, positive human-animal relationships, and opportunities for natural complex behavior.