Transport is the most welfare-compromised stage of most farm animals' lives, yet it is also the least visible and most inadequately regulated phase of the food system.
Transport is the welfare crisis that occurs between the farm and the slaughter facility — invisible to consumers, under-regulated relative to on-farm conditions, and affecting billions of animals annually. The stress of transport accumulates from multiple sources: loading involves unfamiliar handling, moving to unfamiliar environments, mixing with unfamiliar animals, reduced access to feed and water, and exposure to temperature extremes and vehicle motion. Each of these stressors alone would be significant; their combination creates welfare impacts that are among the most consistently measured and documented in all of farm animal welfare science. The welfare solution of reducing transport distances — including mobile slaughter and regional abattoir networks — is partially available but requires infrastructure investment and policy support.