Livestock Transport Welfare: Long-Distance Journeys and Suffering

The transport of live animals over long distances is a major source of welfare harm, with millions of animals experiencing crowding, temperature extremes, injury, and stress annually.

Key Facts

The EU exports approximately 1.5-2 billion live animals per year, many travelling for more than 8 hours to reach slaughter or fattening destinations
Long-distance transport is associated with weight loss, dehydration, immune suppression, injury, and in extreme cases, death
Third-country exports from the EU send animals to countries with lower welfare standards, where they may be slaughtered without stunning in supply chains beyond EU regulatory reach
The EU Animal Transport Regulation sets maximum journey times and space requirements but has faced widespread criticism for poor enforcement and inadequate standards
A shift to carcass trade rather than live animal trade would reduce transport welfare harms and is supported by welfare organisations and increasingly by the European Parliament

Welfare Considerations

Livestock transport welfare is one of the most extensively documented and least adequately addressed welfare problems in European animal agriculture. The combination of long journey times, crowding, temperature extremes during summer transport, and inadequate rest stops creates conditions that cause measurable suffering to millions of animals annually. The economic drivers of live trade — particularly the desire to slaughter in destination countries at local costs — create political resistance to the reforms needed to substantially reduce this suffering.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns to end live animal export from the EU in favour of carcass and meat trade
Advocate for maximum journey time limits to be reduced to 8 hours in EU transport legislation reform
Push for improved enforcement of existing transport welfare regulations through GPS monitoring and veterinary inspection
Support organisations including Animals International and Eurogroup for Animals working on live transport reform
Raise awareness that the cheap meat often involves hidden welfare costs paid by animals in transport