Pigs are among the most cognitively sophisticated farm animals — their intelligence creates heightened welfare needs that intensive systems consistently fail to meet.
Pig intelligence is not merely a curiosity — it directly determines the depth of their welfare needs and the severity of harm from deprivation. Cognitively sophisticated animals have more to lose from boredom, social frustration, and restricted agency. Understanding pigs as intelligent social beings rather than production units fundamentally changes the ethical calculus of intensive farming practices that are currently standard across the industry.