Pig welfare assessment is shifting from input-based standards (space allowance, enrichment provision) to outcome-based metrics that measure actual animal experience. This shift is transforming what welfare means in practice.
The transition to outcome-based pig welfare assessment is one of the most important conceptual advances in farm animal welfare in recent decades. Input standards — minimum space, enrichment access — can be met while welfare remains poor; outcome standards measure what animals actually experience. A farm that meets every space requirement but has 30% of pigs with tail bite wounds is failing welfare regardless of regulatory compliance. Outcome-based certification creates stronger incentives for genuine welfare improvement and stronger consumer confidence in the meaning of welfare labels.