Farm Animals

Pig Welfare Positive Human-Animal Relationship

How the quality of human-animal relationships on pig farms affects welfare outcomes and stockperson behaviour.

Key Facts

Pigs raised by handlers with positive attitudes show lower fear responses
Fearful pigs take longer to load, have higher injury rates, and show higher stress at slaughter
Stockperson empathy scores correlate with farm-level welfare outcomes
Training programs that build positive human-animal relationships improve welfare measurably
HAR quality assessment is increasingly incorporated into farm welfare audits

Welfare Considerations

The relationship between pigs and the people who care for them is a fundamental determinant of welfare. Fear of humans is a welfare cost in itself, and also causes secondary harms through rough handling and stress. Investing in stockperson attitudes and skills delivers welfare benefits.

What You Can Do

Support training programs that build positive stockperson-animal relationships
Advocate for HAR assessment in pig farm welfare certification
Choose pork from farms that demonstrate investment in stockperson welfare training