Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Genetic Diversity and Welfare Resilience

Genetic diversity in pig populations affects their resilience to disease and their capacity for welfare improvements through breeding.

Key Facts

Commercial pig breeding is dominated by a small number of genetic lines globally
Low genetic diversity increases disease vulnerability and reduces adaptive capacity
Native pig breeds often show better robustness and maternal behaviour than commercial lines
Preservation of heritage breeds maintains genetic diversity for future welfare breeding
Genomic selection is increasingly used to incorporate welfare traits in breeding programmes

Welfare Considerations

Genetic diversity is the foundation of adaptive capacity in pig populations. Narrow genetic bases increase vulnerability to disease and limit options for breeding welfare improvements. Preserving diversity while selecting for welfare traits provides the most resilient foundation.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for inclusion of welfare traits in commercial pig breeding indices
Advocate for conservation of native pig breed genetic resources
Choose pork from farms using welfare-selected genetics when information is available