Farm Animals

Pig Welfare Legacy: What We Built

A reflective look at the lasting contributions to pig welfare from decades of research, advocacy, and policy work, and what remains to be accomplished.

Key Facts

The campaign to ban sow gestation crates took three decades to achieve in the EU, demonstrating the long timescales of welfare reform
Pig welfare research has produced validated pain assessment tools, positive welfare indicators, and enrichment frameworks
Global pig welfare certification schemes now cover hundreds of millions of animals annually
The campaign against tail docking without anaesthesia has achieved policy change in multiple countries

Welfare Considerations

The welfare legacy for pigs is a complex mix of genuine progress and persistent problems. The science has advanced enormously, some practices have been reformed, and market incentives for welfare have grown. But the majority of the world's pigs still live in conditions that cause significant suffering. The work continues.

What You Can Do

Celebrate welfare progress while maintaining honest assessment of the work remaining
Support pig welfare organisations with both immediate and long-term goals
Engage with the next generation of welfare scientists, advocates, and farmers