Pig enrichment science has advanced significantly, identifying effective materials and designs that meet behavioral needs in commercial production settings.
Pig enrichment science has clearly identified what works and what does not — yet the gap between evidence and practice remains large in commercial pig production. The science consistently supports substrate-based enrichment including straw, compost, and peat as most effective at satisfying rooting motivation, while suspending objects like chains or rubber objects provide stimulation but fail to address the full behavioral need. The regulatory requirement for enrichment in the EU is frequently satisfied with technically compliant but practically inadequate provision. Producer education, welfare audit criteria that assess enrichment quality rather than just presence, and market incentives through certification schemes are the levers available to improve practice. Enrichment is also economically beneficial — reducing tail biting and associated antibiotic use offsets the cost of straw provision in many production systems.