The pig sector has made major strides in animal health, welfare and precision production technologies, but experts warn that innovation alone will not secure public trust unless consumers better understand those advances.
Professor Lis Alban, chief scientist at the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, and Gemma Ticó, founder and chief executive of Agencia Oinkers, said the sector must communicate technological and scientific progress more clearly to society.
Speaking during keynote presentations at the 2026 European Symposium of Porcine Health Management (ESPHM), the two veterinarians argued that modern pig production has become increasingly advanced in areas such as antimicrobial stewardship, biosecurity, welfare monitoring and disease control, yet much of that progress remains largely invisible to the public.
Collaboration driving innovation
Alban, who is also adjunct professor at the University of Copenhagen, described how Denmark’s long-standing “co-creation” model brings together producers, veterinarians, researchers and government authorities to address animal health and food safety challenges.
According to Alban, collaboration has helped the Danish pig sector move proactively on issues such as antimicrobial stewardship and welfare standards before regulation required it.
She pointed to Denmark’s early phase-out of antimicrobial growth promoters and restrictions on critically important antimicrobials in pigs as examples of industry-led action designed both to improve stewardship and maintain public trust.
Alban also highlighted how emerging technologies are creating new opportunities for welfare oversight and transparency.
Camera systems and AI-based monitoring tools are increasingly being explored for applications ranging from lesion detection and welfare assessment to identifying faecal contamination at slaughter.
“The camera is better [than human inspectors] — the camera is not getting tired,” Alban said while discussing automated inspection technologies.
Researchers are also using imaging systems to better understand wound patterns in pigs, helping distinguish between aggression-related injuries and potential handling issues.
Such technologies could improve welfare monitoring while also helping producers demonstrate standards more transparently to retailers, regulators and consumers.
At the same time, Alban acknowledged that issues such as tail docking, piglet mortality and antimicrobial use continue to attract criticism from outside the sector.
“We should not expect everybody to agree,” she said, “but we do need dialogue.”
She warned that the sector risks losing its “licence to operate” if the gap between producers and society continues to widen.
Communication becoming strategic priority
Picking up on that theme, Ticó argued that the swine sector’s greatest challenge today is not scientific capability but communication.
“The swine sector does not have a science problem,” she said. “It has a narrative gap.”
According to Ticó, consumers increasingly encounter pig production through emotionally charged social media content rather than through scientific or technical information.
As a result, many advances in production technology, welfare management and veterinary oversight fail to reach the public in a meaningful way.
“Trust built internally does not automatically become trust externally,” she said.
Ticó argued that the sector must become more strategic about explaining innovations and day-to-day farming practices in ways broader audiences can understand.
That includes using storytelling, transparency and trusted communicators — including veterinarians, farmers and influencers — to translate technical progress into relatable narratives.
“Nowadays, information about pig production rarely reaches the public through scientific papers,” she said. “It reaches them through stories.”
During her presentation, Ticó shared examples of communication initiatives involving farmers, veterinarians and social media creators engaging directly with pig production systems.
The aim, she said, is not simply public relations but helping bridge the disconnect between what happens on farms and how it is perceived externally.
Together, the presentations delivered a common message: the pig sector already possesses many of the scientific tools and technological innovations needed to address future health, welfare and sustainability challenges — but maintaining public trust will increasingly depend on making those advances visible, understandable and credible beyond the farm gate.
Key takeaways
- Pig sector speakers said innovation in welfare, disease control and antimicrobial stewardship must be matched by stronger public engagement.
- AI and camera-based monitoring tools are creating new ways to assess welfare, detect lesions and improve transparency.
- Consumers often encounter pig production through social media narratives, leaving many scientific and technical advances poorly understood.
- Experts said farmers, veterinarians and trusted communicators will be central to making progress more visible and credible.
Farming Future Food is proud to be a media partner of ESPHM 2026
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