Transporting cattle is one of the most stressful experiences in the life of a farm animal. Long-distance transport for slaughter or further fattening causes significant and measurable welfare harm.
Cattle transport welfare is an area where there is a stark gap between legal standards and animal experience. Even journeys within legal limits cause measurable physiological and behavioural stress. Journey lengths that would not be permitted for any other purpose are routine in the livestock trade. The most impactful reform would be universal adoption of a maximum journey time of 8 hours for slaughter livestock combined with a shift to slaughter-at-origin and chilled meat trade. This solution would benefit animal welfare, reduce carbon emissions from live animal transport, and maintain economic value within producing regions.