Photo of a woman (Lise Pinaqui, SLU) crouching in tall grass beside a pig that is sniffing her hand with its snout. — Photo: Lisa Chröisty, SLU

Run free: For pigs with soil on the snout and stronger legs – one step at a time

News published: 02/07/2026

Despite Sweden’s goal for sixty percent organic food production by 2030, only one percent of pigs in Sweden are kept organically – with access to outdoor areas and, in some cases, soil on their snouts. Why is that, and what solutions can be found? Step into the project where pigs run free!

Life as a pig in Sweden

From indoor life in enclosed pens to outdoor life with daily mud baths – life as a pig in Sweden can look very different.

This project focuses on pigs on organic farms: While they may have a richer and more natural life, studies indicate that they may also suffer in other ways. Overcoming this threshold is key – both for the pigs and for more organic food production in Sweden, says Lise Pinaqui, doctoral student in the project.

But to understand this paradox, one needs to understand the different ways in which pigs live in Sweden. Today, there are three approved ways of keeping pigs for food production, all regulated by the Swedish animal welfare legislation:

Conventional pig production. The pigs live indoors in pens or in larger groups with access to enrichment such as straw.

Organic production is then divided into two different standards. EU-organic is based on a European standard for organic production, stricter than conventional, which states among others that pigs must have access to outdoor areas in a run or other suitable land all year round. However, this does not specify what type of outdoor access the pigs must have, which may mean that, for practical reasons, the outdoor area takes the form of a concrete slab.

For pigs to be guaranteed grass under their feet and soil to root in, the national organic label KRAV – Sweden’s strictest organic standard – is required. EU-organic farmers may provide access to pasture, but under KRAV it is mandatory. During the four summer months, pigs must have the opportunity to root, graze and move freely over large areas. For the rest of the year, they must be able to go out into an outdoor run where they have the opportunity to root and lie comfortably on a deep-litter bed.

Photos of pigs with soil on their snouts outdoors in a pasture during the Swedish summer. — In Sweden, pigs are kept in three different ways, and in one of the organic standards – KRAV – pigs get to roll in mud baths outdoors and root soil onto their snouts. Photo: Lisa Chröisty, SLU

The paradox: a better environment – but painful problems?

Since 2019, there has been a stated goal that 60 percent of food production in Sweden should be organic. But only one percent of the pigs slaughtered in Sweden today are actually organic. In addition to the practical and financial aspect that larger areas and meeting pigs’ natural behavioural and movement needs entail there seem to be further reasons why farmers are holding back from developing pig farms into organic or KRAV-certified production.

Historically, one of the reasons for keeping pigs indoors is to have them more protected in a controlled environment, from predators as well as external infections, says Lise Pinaqui, doctoral student in the project.

So can pigs be kept outdoors, healthy and protected?

We know that despite many years as domesticated animals, pigs still have the same kinds of natural needs as wild boar; rooting and being active during the night, to name two clear behavioural needs. But studies also indicate some issues with the organic pigs’ health, she continues.

Consumers rightly expect animal welfare to be especially good in organic animal husbandry, which in many respects is also correct: when pigs have more space and access to outdoor areas in runs or on pasture, they are given a more stimulating environment and greater opportunity for movement. When more natural needs are met, behavioural disorders and injuries between pigs decrease.

However, by breeding and adapting pigs for commercial production, new challenges have arisen. There are indications through previous studies on inspection of pigs at slaughter that organic pigs run a higher risk of developing joint and leg problems than pigs from conventional production – despite the same breeds being used. Problems of this kind can be influenced by many factors – but increased activity among organic pigs may be part of the explanation.

The paradox, then, is that pigs that are offered a better environment with outdoor access have also been shown, in some cases, to develop painful leg problems, says Lise Pinaqui.

However, it is not known how common or how serious these problems are in Sweden today. This is where this research takes over.

Photo of a pig standing in tall grass outdoors in a summer pasture, glancing towards the people far behind it. — The research group has examined pigs on KRAV farms around Sweden using what is known as Welfare Quality®, an animal welfare assessment protocol. Photo: Lisa Chröisty, SLU

According to EU regulations, animals kept organically must be adapted to that way of life, says doctoral student Lise Pinaqui, so the question of the organic pigs’ health is important to investigate; from the perspective of Sweden’s goals, regulations and, of course, the welfare of the pigs.

To get the facts straight the research group has been investigating how common the problem with leg and joint injuries in organic pigs really is today, what it may be due to and whether it can be prevented through increased activity for young piglets.

We have seen that some pigs develop problems already as piglets, which is why we are now testing whether providing increased activity for the piglets can help strengthen their bodies, says Lise Pinaqui and continues:

The hope is that, in this way, they will be better able to cope with life as an organic pig.

One step at a time over the threshold for pigs running free

The research project reached its halfway point in the summer of 2026, and some results are available.

It has turned out that the problem of joint and leg pain in outdoor pigs is not perceived as serious by the Swedish organic pig farmers as one might have thought, says Lise Pinaqui.

This also changes the picture of what the threshold for more organic and KRAV-certified pigs actually is. The doctoral student continues:

There seem to be other aspects that also carry weight, such as parasite infections and the risk of serious diseases such as African swine fever.

Photo of a woman (Lise Pinaqui) standing outdoors in tall grass with pigs during the Swedish summer. — “By understanding more about what actually stands in the way of keeping more pigs organically in Sweden, we are now one step closer to finding the next solution,” says PhD student Lise Pinaqui. Photo: Lisa Chröisty, SLU

The researchers believe that the project’s close collaboration with pig farmers is key to gaining clearer insights and jointly finding ways forward towards the desired change.

These pigs already have a better life than many other pigs, but there are of course improvements to be made and ways to make things easier both for the pigs and for the organic farmers. I have a strong drive to do this for them, she concludes.

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Facts: More about this project

Goes under the official name: “Run free: Assessing leg health and preparing pigs for organic production”
It is expected to run during the period 2024–2028 and is funded by SLU through government funding earmarked for research on organic production in the field.

Doctoral student in the project is Lise Pinaqui, agronomist, together with a research group consisting of:

Main supervisor Katja Nilsson, associate professor in applied animal genetics
Torun Wallgren, researcher in applied animal science and welfare at SLU
Stefan Gunnarsson, veterinarian and professor in One Health at SLU
Lotta Rydhmer, professor emeritus of animal genetics at SLU, former main supervisor of the project

As well as a reference group consisting of:
Farmers from Jord på trynet
Ingela Löfquist, organic pig farmer and advisor at Hushållningssällskapet, the Rural Economy and Agricultural Societies
Elin Karlsson, PhD student at SLU and formerly production advisor at Gård och djurhälsan
as well as collaboration with technicians at SLU and students who are also involved in the project

The project can broadly be divided into four parts, simply described as follows:

In the first study, a survey was sent to all organic pig farmers in Sweden, with questions about various injuries – focusing on leg problems such as lameness, stiffness after rest, joint inflammation, abscesses and leg wounds. In addition, the farmers were asked what they believed caused the problems, for example the pigs’ sex, breed, outdoor/indoor environment, feed or activity. With this information about the animals, the frequency of injuries and the design of the farms, the researchers were able to make an initial mapping of the perceived problem and possible causes – and to follow up with in-depth interviews with the pig farmers.
In the second study, the research group follows pigs throughout their lives, in order to identify early on which pigs show some kind of leg problem early in life and to follow these through possible environmental influence and treatment interventions, as well as the effect of these – in order to understand why injuries arise: Are they genetic, due to the environment, trauma or something else?
In the third sub-study, piglets are trained early in life in an attempt to see whether a more active environment can prepare them to withstand more activity later in life. This intervention, if it proves effective, may be particularly important for piglets born during the winter and therefore without direct access to outdoor areas on uneven terrain, such as pasture.
In the fourth and last study, the research group aims to place pigs’ leg health in a broader perspective. To do this, sustainability, pig welfare and farmer well-being are assessed on organic pig farms around Sweden using sustainability and animal welfare assessment protocols. They cover aspects such as the environment from a sustainability perspective, working conditions, pig behaviour and health – both during the winter half of the year and during the grazing period.

Black-and-white photo of a pig’s snout gently pressed against the outstretched hand of a woman in a pasture. — Photo: Lisa Chröisty, SLU

Would you like to follow the research or learn more? Visit the Run free project page