The welfare costs of farm animal transport increase with journey duration, making transport distance a key welfare consideration in food system design.
Transport distance welfare is a simple but important principle: shorter is better. The welfare costs of transport - stress, dehydration, injuries from movement, temperature extremes - accumulate with time. A cow transported 30 minutes to a local abatoir experiences far less welfare cost than one transported 30 hours across multiple countries. Supply chain shortening through local procurement and slaughter reduces transport welfare exposure while often delivering other sustainability benefits. Consumer and retailer preference for local supply chains creates market incentives for geographic supply chain reorganisation that directly reduces welfare costs.