Precision livestock farming technologies — including computer vision, acoustic monitoring, and wearable sensors — are transforming the ability to detect and respond to welfare problems in pig production at scale.
Precision farming technology represents a genuine step forward for pig welfare because it makes visible what previously went undetected. In large units, individual pigs that develop lameness, injuries, or illness can suffer for days before a stockperson notices during routine inspection. Automated systems that flag individual animals for attention can drastically reduce this suffering lag. However, technology is not a substitute for stockpersonship or animal welfare knowledge — it is a tool that enhances human monitoring capacity. The welfare benefit is only realised when alerts are acted upon promptly and competently. There is also a risk that technology is used to justify higher stocking densities or reduced stockperson numbers, which would negate the welfare benefits. Regulatory frameworks should require that precision farming tools supplement rather than replace human welfare monitoring.