Positive welfare for pigs means providing conditions for genuinely good experiences, not merely reducing suffering. Research on play, exploration and social bonding is reshaping pig welfare science.
Positive welfare science for pigs moves beyond the traditional focus on preventing suffering to ask what makes life genuinely worth living for a pig. Research using cognitive bias tests, play behaviour observation and preference testing reveals that pigs have rich emotional lives with distinct positive and negative states. Good welfare is not just the absence of fear and pain — it includes opportunities for exploration, play, rooting, social bonding and cognitive engagement. Farming systems that provide these opportunities produce pigs with better immune function, lower disease susceptibility and improved productivity, aligning welfare with production interests. The science is translating into welfare assessment frameworks like the Welfare Quality protocol that now include positive welfare indicators alongside negative measures.