Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Welfare: The Science of Positive Emotions

Research into positive emotions in pigs is transforming understanding of what it means for a pig to live well.

Key Facts

Pigs show anticipatory behaviour toward positive events that reflects positive emotional states
Judgement bias tests reveal optimistic or pessimistic world-views in pigs based on rearing conditions
Play behaviour in pigs is a reliable indicator of positive affect and welfare state
Social play between young pigs includes metacommunication signals showing mutual enjoyment

Welfare Considerations

The science of positive emotions in pigs reveals that welfare is not just about reducing suffering but enabling genuine positive experiences. Pigs that play, explore, and show positive anticipation have welfare that goes beyond mere absence of suffering. This understanding raises the bar for what acceptable pig welfare looks like and motivates more ambitious improvement.

What You Can Do

Support research programmes investigating positive emotional states in farm animals
Advocate for positive welfare indicators alongside negative outcome measures in farm certification
Choose pork from systems that explicitly monitor and promote positive pig welfare states