Decades of research have established pigs as highly intelligent, emotionally complex animals whose cognitive abilities rival those of dogs and young children.
The scientific evidence for pig intelligence and emotional complexity has profound welfare implications. Animals capable of experiencing anticipation, boredom, frustration, positive emotions, and social bonding will suffer more in impoverished environments than animals without these capacities. The contrast between what we know about pig cognition and the conditions in which most pigs are kept - barren confinement systems with no rooting material, social manipulation, and early weaning - represents one of the most significant ethical failures in animal agriculture.