Transporting livestock in hot climates creates acute heat stress risks that cause significant mortality and suffering. Regulating transport conditions in tropical and subtropical regions is a major welfare gap.
Livestock transport in hot climates combines the stresses of confinement, dehydration, social disruption, and thermal load in ways that create acute suffering for millions of animals annually. Long-distance live export is particularly problematic because duration extends all these stressors. The welfare case for replacing live export with chilled meat trade is strong, but implementation requires trade agreement reform and importing country cold chain development. In the interim, stronger transport welfare standards and seasonal restrictions provide meaningful welfare protection.