Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Welfare and Science Priorities 2026

Current pig welfare research priorities include pain management, enrichment evidence, sentience science, and alternative production systems. Investment in these areas drives future welfare improvement.

Key Facts

Pain management advances including new analgesics and delivery systems are a research priority
Enrichment complexity and novelty science is being refined through field research
Sentience research including emotion and cognition continues to expand understanding
Alternative production systems including indoor enriched and outdoor are being compared
Welfare monitoring technology development is a major research and commercial priority

Welfare Considerations

Directing research investment toward the most impactful pig welfare questions accelerates practical improvement. Understanding which interventions produce the greatest welfare gains per unit of investment enables smarter prioritisation.

What You Can Do

Support organisations funding high-impact pig welfare research
Follow pig welfare research publications and engage with findings
Advocate for welfare research investment in government and industry funding
Learn about current pig welfare research and how findings are being implemented