A large body of welfare research on pig enrichment has identified effective, commercially applicable interventions that reduce behavioral problems while improving welfare outcomes in housing systems.
Pig enrichment research has generated a robust evidence base that farms and certifiers can act on immediately. The effectiveness hierarchy is clear: destructible rooting materials like straw outperform all alternatives; novel objects are better than nothing but habituate quickly; chains and rubber toys provide minimal benefit. The gap between research evidence and commercial practice reflects economic incentives and infrastructure constraints rather than scientific uncertainty. Certification standards that require effective enrichment — and auditing that distinguishes effective from token provision — translate research evidence into farm-level welfare improvement.