Scientific research on pig cognition continues to reveal sophisticated abilities that have profound implications for how we evaluate the ethics of industrial pig farming.
Pig cognition research continues to build the case that pigs are far more intellectually sophisticated than their farming conditions typically acknowledge. Animals that experience optimism and pessimism, recognize cause and effect, and learn from observing each other have a richer inner life than beings that merely process stimulus and response. Confining such animals in barren, space-restricted environments denies not just physical freedom but cognitive engagement that these animals are evidently motivated to seek. The scientific evidence for pig intelligence is now compelling enough to generate a strong ethical case for significant improvements in farming conditions.