EU law requires enrichment for farmed pigs, but material quality varies enormously. Evidence-based enrichment selection makes the difference between effective welfare improvement and token compliance.
Enrichment compliance in EU pig farming varies from genuine welfare improvement to token gesture. A hanging chain satisfies the legal letter while providing negligible welfare benefit — pigs quickly habituate to non-destructible objects. Truly effective enrichment is organic, manipulable, and preferably destructible — materials that pigs can root, chew, and engage with over extended periods. Straw racks on slatted floors represent a practical compromise. Investment in effective enrichment reduces production losses from tail biting, making it economically as well as ethically compelling. Regulators should specify enrichment quality standards, not just provision requirements.