Enrichment provision is a legal requirement for pigs in the EU and UK. However, the type and quality of enrichment provided varies enormously and determines whether the legal requirement translates into meaningful welfare improvement.
The gap between legal compliance and meaningful welfare is particularly stark in pig enrichment. A hanging metal chain in an otherwise barren pen technically meets legal requirements but provides negligible welfare benefit compared to ad libitum straw or compost. Welfare scientists advocate for a functional definition of enrichment that requires evidence of reduced abnormal behaviour and stress indicators, not just physical presence of a device.