Current minimum space requirements for pigs in EU and UK legislation are below welfare requirements evidenced by science. Understanding the evidence supports advocacy for reform.
Current legal minimum space allowances for pigs are welfare-inadequate by scientific standards. The evidence linking space to tail biting, aggression, and lameness is robust and extensive. Pigs provided with legal minimum space cannot express natural ranging and exploratory behaviour. The gap between minimum compliance and welfare-positive space provision is significant, and advocacy for regulatory reform that closes this gap would benefit millions of pigs across the EU.