Long-distance livestock transport is one of the highest-risk periods for animal welfare, and rest, water, and feed requirements during transport are among the most important regulatory welfare standards.
Long-distance livestock transport causes preventable welfare suffering on a massive scale, with dehydration, exhaustion, injury, and death occurring throughout supply chains. The regulatory framework in the EU sets minimum standards for journey duration and rest requirements that, if enforced, would substantially reduce welfare harm — but enforcement is inconsistent and some long-distance routes operate outside the spirit if not the letter of the law. Live export over very long distances — typically from Australia and South America to Middle Eastern and Asian markets — involves journey durations and conditions that welfare organisations consistently document as causing severe suffering. The shift from live export to chilled carcass trade would eliminate the most severe transport welfare problems while maintaining market access. Consumer, retailer, and regulatory pressure on supply chains that include unacceptably long transport is a practical lever for welfare improvement.