Providing outdoor access to farmed pigs allows expression of natural rooting, exploration, and social behaviours. Research consistently shows welfare benefits including reduced aggression, improved leg health, and lower stress indicators.
Outdoor access dramatically improves pig welfare by allowing expression of rooting and foraging behaviours that account for the majority of active time in natural conditions. The psychological benefits of environmental complexity and novelty reduce boredom-related behaviours. Outdoor systems do carry genuine welfare tradeoffs — exposure to extreme weather, parasites, and some infectious diseases — but evidence consistently shows net welfare benefits when systems are well managed. Consumer demand for outdoor-raised pork is the most powerful driver of welfare improvement at scale.