Beyond avoiding suffering, pig welfare science increasingly focuses on promoting positive emotional states — a higher standard that transforms how we think about farm animal wellbeing.
The shift toward positive welfare frameworks represents a maturation in farm animal science. Instead of only asking "are these pigs suffering?" we now ask "are these pigs experiencing good lives?" This higher standard reveals that many conventional production systems, even when they technically meet minimum standards, fail to provide conditions in which pigs can flourish. Play, curiosity, and social engagement are not luxuries — they are indicators of psychological wellbeing. Research shows that pigs raised in enriched, spacious environments with varied social experiences and opportunities for exploration show strong evidence of positive emotional states. Conversely, pigs in barren, stressful environments show behavioral depression and cognitive pessimism.