Moving beyond the absence of suffering, positive welfare science seeks to identify and measure positive experiences in pigs. Understanding what good pig welfare looks like in practice helps farmers, auditors, and advocates set meaningful standards.
Positive welfare science represents a fundamental advance in how we think about animal welfare. Rather than asking only 'is the animal suffering?' it asks 'is the animal thriving?' This shift matters enormously for pigs in particular, because many commercial systems technically meet minimum welfare standards (no acute suffering, adequate nutrition) while providing no meaningful opportunity for positive experiences. Pigs that can root, play, and engage in social behaviour express clear indicators of positive emotional states. The welfare obligation is not just to prevent suffering but to enable flourishing - to create conditions where positive welfare indicators are regularly expressed rather than exceptional.