Farm Animals

Cattle Transport Distance and Welfare

Long-distance cattle transport causes cumulative welfare harm through exhaustion, dehydration, and stress.

Key Facts

EU regulations permit cattle transport of up to 29 hours without rest for most journeys
Long-distance live export ships can carry cattle for weeks
Mortality during long-distance transport, while a small percentage, represents large absolute numbers
Short supply chains with local slaughter eliminate transport welfare impacts entirely

Welfare Considerations

Transport distance and welfare impact scale together. Short journeys cause manageable acute stress. Long journeys — particularly intercontinental live export on ships — cause exhaustion, dehydration, heat stress, and in some cases, severe weather-related deaths. The economic rationale for long-distance live export (accessing live animal markets where refrigerated meat is rejected) conflicts with welfare evidence.

What You Can Do

Support phase-out of long-distance live animal export in favor of chilled meat trade
Advocate for maximum transport time limits in livestock welfare regulations
Choose locally sourced meat to reduce transport-related welfare impacts
Support organizations campaigning to end long-distance live export