The science of positive emotional states in pigs and what it means for farming standards.
The science of positive pig welfare has transformed how we think about pig farming standards. Moving beyond preventing suffering to actively promoting positive emotional states requires different indicators and different management approaches. A pig that plays, vocalizes positive ultrasonic calls, shows tail wagging in preferred situations, and approaches novel enrichment with curiosity is demonstrating positive welfare — a state that barren intensive systems systematically prevent. Farming systems that provide space, enrichment, social stability, and opportunities for choice and control create conditions where positive emotional states are possible. The evidence that pigs actively seek pleasurable experiences and show measurable positive emotions makes the ethical case for their welfare as compelling as the evidence for their capacity to suffer.