Moving beyond the Five Freedoms, positive welfare assessment for pigs focuses on indicators that animals are thriving, not merely surviving.
The evolution of pig welfare assessment from preventing negatives to promoting positives reflects a matured understanding of animal wellbeing. Pigs in good environments play, explore, show relaxed body postures, and engage in positive social interactions. These positive indicators — not just absence of injury or disease — define true welfare. Assessment systems that reward farms for high positive welfare rates create incentives aligned with genuine improvement rather than minimal compliance. Consumer products carrying welfare ratings based on positive indicators can drive market transformation.