Emerging research into positive emotional states in pigs is changing how welfare is assessed, moving beyond absence of suffering to presence of positive experiences.
Traditional welfare assessment focused almost exclusively on identifying and reducing negative states - pain, fear, hunger, and boredom. The emerging positive welfare framework asks a different question: are animals experiencing good lives, not just minimally suffering ones? For pigs, this means evaluating whether they have opportunities for play, exploration, social bonding, and positive surprise. This shift is scientifically grounded and ethically important - a pig that is not suffering is not necessarily thriving, and thriving should be the welfare standard.