Welfare Science

Pig Welfare and Open Data Science

Open data science approaches to pig welfare research would accelerate discovery by enabling analysis across datasets impossible for individual research groups to compile.

Key Facts

Individual pig farm welfare datasets are rarely shared beyond research teams
Aggregated welfare data across thousands of farms would reveal welfare risk factors
Machine learning approaches require large datasets impossible from single research programmes
Commercial sensitivity prevents sharing that would benefit industry welfare overall
Trusted third-party data infrastructure could enable analysis while protecting commercial interests

Welfare Considerations

Open data science could transform pig welfare research by enabling pattern recognition across datasets that reveal causes of poor welfare invisible in small studies. Overcoming commercial sensitivity through trusted data infrastructure is a prerequisite for this welfare science advance.

What You Can Do

Support research institutions developing trusted welfare data infrastructure
Advocate for open data requirements in publicly funded welfare research
Engage with pig industry associations about the welfare value of data sharing