The environmental impacts of pig farming are intertwined with animal welfare - systems that harm the environment often also harm animal welfare, and sustainable systems tend to support both.
The relationship between environmental impact and animal welfare in pig farming is not one of direct conflict but of shared systemic roots. Intensive confinement systems that harm animal welfare through space restriction, behavioral frustration, and high disease pressure also generate high environmental impacts through concentrated waste, air pollution, and antibiotic use. Higher welfare systems - outdoor, deep litter, or enriched housing - typically have lower disease pressure, reduced antibiotic use, and different environmental footprints. The policy and consumer choices that drive improvement in pig welfare also tend to improve the environmental sustainability of pig production, making welfare and environmental advocacy natural allies rather than competing concerns.