Modern animal welfare science recognizes that good welfare requires positive experiences, not just absence of suffering, and research has identified specific behavioral indicators of positive emotional states in pigs.
The welfare science shift toward measuring positive states rather than only negative ones has profound implications for pig production: it reveals that merely eliminating pain and fear is insufficient for good welfare when animals have no opportunity for positive experiences. A pig that never suffers acutely but spends its life in barren conditions without social interaction, exploration, or play is not experiencing good welfare. Research shows pigs have complex emotional lives, form preferences, can be optimistic or pessimistic, and their emotional state affects physiological health. Industry resistance to positive welfare metrics often centers on cost: providing enrichment, space, and social stability has economic implications. Yet evidence shows that pigs expressing more positive behaviors also show better health outcomes and reduced aggression, suggesting positive welfare aligns with production interests.