How genetic selection in commercial pig breeding affects animal welfare outcomes and what reforms can improve pig wellbeing.
The welfare costs of extreme production-focused genetics are substantial. Pigs selected for maximum lean growth often experience musculoskeletal pain, cardiovascular strain, and behavioral frustration from confinement. Genetic selection that ignores welfare traits effectively bakes suffering into every generation of animals produced. Reforming breeding indices to include welfare measures is one of the highest-leverage interventions available, as it improves outcomes for billions of animals across generations.