Moving beyond absence of suffering to actively measuring positive welfare states in farm animals is transforming how welfare is assessed and improved.
Positive welfare science represents a paradigm shift from asking whether animals are free from suffering to asking whether they are experiencing good lives. Animals can be free from obvious negative states while still experiencing chronic boredom or low-level negative affect from impoverished environments. Positive welfare research demonstrates that animals in good welfare conditions show higher rates of play, exploration, social affiliation, and cognitive optimism. These indicators enable welfare assessment to capture what good animal lives look like and guide management toward providing them, rather than simply setting minimum acceptable suffering limits.