Positive welfare — not just the absence of suffering but the presence of positive experiences — is an emerging priority in pig farming that is both achievable and evidence-based.
The welfare science has moved beyond simply preventing suffering toward actively promoting positive experiences in farm animals. For pigs, positive welfare is achievable through straw provision, outdoor access, social stability, varied diet, and opportunities for play and exploration. Pigs given these conditions show behavioral indicators of positive emotional states — play, curiosity, social grooming, and relaxed resting — that are absent in barren intensive systems. The transition from welfare as harm prevention to welfare as positive experience promotion represents one of the most significant conceptual advances in farm animal science and policy.