Pig welfare science has advanced substantially in recent years, with key progress in pain assessment, positive welfare indicators, and the neurological basis of pig suffering and positive states.
The science of pig welfare has moved beyond simply measuring suffering to also characterising positive welfare states. Pigs in high-quality environments show optimistic cognitive bias — they approach ambiguous situations with positive expectations. This bidirectional assessment (reducing negative and promoting positive states) represents a more complete welfare standard than historical approaches. Consumer demand for products from farms achieving positive welfare states can drive implementation of this higher standard.