Research on pig cognition has revealed remarkable intelligence comparable to dogs and primates. Understanding pig cognitive capacities is essential for developing welfare standards that meet their needs.
Pig cognitive research has fundamentally challenged assumptions about animal intelligence and their capacity for rich emotional lives. The same cognitive capacities that make pigs remarkable research subjects — their ability to learn complex tasks, form social bonds, show empathy, and experience optimistic or pessimistic emotional states — are also reasons their current welfare conditions are so ethically problematic. Standard intensive pig farming frustrates nearly every cognitive and social capacity that research has demonstrated. The science of pig cognition makes the case for dramatically improved welfare standards more compelling than it was when pigs were assumed to be simple, reactive animals.