Pig welfare legislation has advanced significantly in many countries over the past two decades, but major welfare concerns persist in intensive production systems worldwide.
Pig welfare legislation has progressed substantially in some regions but remains deeply inadequate globally. The most welfare-compromising practices, including gestation crates, early weaning, tail docking, and routine castration without anaesthesia, continue in many jurisdictions despite strong scientific evidence of their harmful effects. Enforcement of existing legislation is inconsistent, and exemptions frequently undermine statutory protections. The gap between welfare legislation in high-income countries and the conditions in which the majority of the world's pigs are raised represents a critical challenge for the international welfare community. Trade agreements and global supply chains can create incentives to source pork from lower-welfare jurisdictions, undermining the effect of domestic welfare improvements.