Farm Animals

Livestock Market Reform and Direct Selling

Direct farm-to-abattoir selling bypasses livestock markets, eliminating the welfare risks associated with market handling, mixing, and the additional transport involved.

Key Facts

Farm-to-abattoir direct contracts avoid the market mixing and additional transport stages
Direct selling reduces the number of welfare-significant handling events
Modern mobile phone trading platforms enable direct farmer-to-buyer transactions
Farm assurance schemes increasingly prefer direct supply chains for welfare traceability
Some quality assurance schemes require direct supply without market passage

Welfare Considerations

Each handling event in the livestock supply chain carries welfare costs from stress, mixing, loading, and transport. Eliminating the market stage through direct supply removes one complete handling cycle. Direct relationships between farmers and processors also enable better welfare information sharing and accountability. Supporting direct supply chain development benefits animal welfare while maintaining farmer income through more direct market access.

What You Can Do

Support farm assurance schemes preferring direct supply chains
Advocate for market reform that reduces handling stages in livestock supply
Choose meat from producers with documented direct-to-abattoir supply chains
Encourage retailers to support direct farmer relationships that improve welfare traceability
Support development of digital trading platforms enabling welfare-positive direct sales