Moving beyond absence of suffering to measuring positive welfare states in pigs represents a major advance in farm animal science.
Positive welfare for pigs represents the next frontier of farm animal welfare science — measuring not just freedom from suffering but the presence of positive experiences like play, curiosity, and social bonding. Pigs in enriched environments engage in more play behavior, explore more actively, and show cognitive markers of positive emotional states. These are not luxuries but indicators of genuinely good welfare that benefit animals, farmers, and consumers simultaneously.