Legal requirements for pig enrichment exist in EU and UK legislation but are often poorly implemented, and the evidence base for effective enrichment materials continues to grow.
Pigs in barren environments experience chronic boredom and frustration, leading to redirected behaviours including tail biting, ear biting, and flank sucking. These are not simply nuisances — they cause pain and injury to victims and anxiety in perpetrators. The evidence that appropriate enrichment reduces these problems is strong and consistent, yet enforcement of enrichment requirements remains poor across much of Europe. The EFSA opinion provides a strong scientific foundation for requiring genuinely effective enrichment — specifically rooting materials at ground level. Enforcement of existing legislation to this standard would deliver substantial welfare improvements for hundreds of millions of pigs.