Long-distance livestock transport causes significant welfare harm through crowding, temperature extremes, hunger, thirst, and exhaustion — reform of transport regulations is a major animal welfare priority.
Long-distance livestock transport causes compounding welfare harms — animals are loaded under stressful conditions, confined in crowded, sometimes extreme temperature conditions, deprived of normal access to food and water, and subjected to unfamiliar sounds, smells, and movement for prolonged periods. Mortality during transport is the most visible welfare indicator, but sublethal suffering — dehydration, injury from falls, heat stress, and exhaustion — affects a far larger proportion of transported animals. The welfare case for limiting journey times and replacing live export with chilled meat trade is scientifically robust. Consumer and political pressure for reform has produced some progress, but full implementation of evidence-based standards remains elusive.