The presence of positive emotional states in pigs - not merely the absence of suffering - is increasingly recognized as the welfare goal that farm systems should aspire to achieve.
Positive welfare science for pigs represents a conceptual shift from welfare as harm avoidance to welfare as flourishing. A pig without obvious suffering but also without play, exploration, or social bonding is in a welfare state that fails to meet the aspirations of modern welfare science. Achieving positive welfare requires environments that provide genuine opportunity for pigs to express their full behavioral repertoire: rooting, exploring, playing, and engaging in affiliative social behavior. This is not idealistic - the farms that achieve positive welfare indicators tend to also achieve lower disease rates, lower mortality, and better productivity, demonstrating that positive welfare and commercial success are aligned.