Farmed Animals

Pig Positive Welfare Indicators

Positive welfare science goes beyond preventing suffering to identifying and promoting positive experiences in farm pigs.

Key Facts

Pigs display play behavior including running, jumping and social play when welfare is high
Positive affective states are associated with optimistic cognitive bias in pigs
Pigs that receive regular gentle human contact show more positive behaviors
Qualitative Behavior Assessment can capture positive emotional states in pigs on-farm

Welfare Considerations

Focusing only on negative welfare indicators misses the full picture of pig wellbeing. Good welfare is not just the absence of suffering but the presence of positive experiences. Research shows pigs in enriched environments with positive human contact and good health show measurable positive emotions. This sets a higher bar for what good pig welfare looks like.

What You Can Do

Support pig welfare certifications that include positive welfare requirements
Ask producers about enrichment and human-pig interaction protocols
Advocate for positive welfare indicators in national farm assurance schemes
Share positive welfare science with farmers and agricultural students