Research on pig cognition reveals sophisticated mental abilities that strengthen the moral case for better welfare standards and enrich our understanding of what pigs need to thrive.
Pig cognition research has produced findings that would have seemed remarkable even two decades ago. The animals we keep in intensive systems that frustrate nearly every natural behavior are, neurologically, among the most cognitively sophisticated animals on farms. The moral weight of this research is significant: the more we understand about pig intelligence and emotional complexity, the harder it becomes to justify the welfare standards typical of commercial production. Cognitive complexity means richer experience of both positive and negative states. It means frustration is more frustrating, boredom more deadening, and positive enrichment more genuinely rewarding. This research strengthens every welfare argument and should motivate more ambitious welfare standards.