Welfare Science

Pig Welfare and Welfare Through the Decades

A historical perspective on pig welfare progress over the past 40 years, showing how sustained advocacy delivers transformative change.

Key Facts

Sow stalls were the norm across EU pig farming in the 1980s and are now banned for most of gestation
Tail docking compliance with the EU's exception-only rule has improved from near-zero to 10% in target countries
Corporate pig welfare commitments were non-existent in 2000 and now cover hundreds of millions of animals
Pig welfare science publications have grown 10-fold since 1990
Public awareness of pig welfare issues has grown from minimal to mainstream in key markets

Welfare Considerations

Historical perspective reveals that pig welfare advocacy works. 40 years of sustained effort has delivered transformative changes that were once unimaginable. The next 40 years can achieve as much again.

What You Can Do

Learn the history of pig welfare advocacy to understand what strategies work
Share historical perspective on welfare progress to inspire current advocates
Use the arc of historical progress to motivate ambitious advocacy goals