Individual pig sentience and the capacity for subjective experience underpins the moral case for welfare protection and informs the standard to which welfare systems are held.
The case for pig welfare protection ultimately rests on pig sentience - the capacity to experience positive and negative states that matter to the individual. Research into pig cognition and emotion consistently demonstrates that pigs are sentient beings with individual personalities, emotional lives, and genuine interests in their own welfare. This evidence base strengthens the moral obligation to protect pig welfare and informs how welfare systems should be evaluated.