Farm Animals

Pig Welfare in Transition: Industry Change and Welfare Progress

Overview of pig farming industry transition toward higher welfare standards and remaining gaps.

Key Facts

Cage-free and enriched housing commitments are driving supply chain transformation
Retailer welfare commitments are creating market pull for welfare standard improvement
Precision monitoring technology is enabling welfare evidence at scale
Higher-welfare pig products are growing as a market segment in several countries
Remaining welfare gaps include tail docking, CO2 stunning, and sow housing transitions

Welfare Considerations

Pig farming is undergoing genuine welfare transition driven by retail commitments, legislative pressure, and consumer demand. Progress is real but uneven, with leading producers significantly ahead of laggards. Precision monitoring is enabling welfare evidence collection at previously impossible scales. Remaining welfare gaps including tail docking prevalence, CO2 stunning welfare, and incomplete sow housing transitions require continued advocacy and regulatory action.

What You Can Do

Support organisations tracking pig welfare commitments and holding companies accountable
Advocate for legislative closure of remaining pig welfare gaps
Choose pork from companies at the leading edge of welfare transition