Livestock Transport Welfare: Long Distance and International Trade

Long-distance and international livestock transport causes significant suffering from stress, heat, dehydration, injury, and disease in millions of farm animals annually.

Key Facts

The EU transports over 1.5 billion animals by road annually, often for many hours or days
Animals can legally be transported for up to 29 hours in the EU before mandatory rest
Heat stress during summer transport causes deaths and severe suffering
Mixed unfamiliar animals in transport cause aggression and injury
Live export ships have experienced catastrophic failures with mass animal mortality
Slaughter at or near the farm of origin can significantly reduce transport-related suffering

Welfare Considerations

Long-distance livestock transport is one of the most significant and preventable sources of animal suffering in agriculture. Animals experience fear during loading, social disruption, extreme temperatures, food and water deprivation, exhaustion, injury, and sometimes death. International live export by ship is particularly problematic, with animals spending weeks at sea in crowded conditions with limited veterinary oversight. Trading meat and carcasses rather than live animals can largely eliminate these welfare harms.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for stricter transport time limits and live export bans
Choose locally sourced animal products to reduce transport distances
Donate to organizations campaigning for transport welfare reform like World Animal Protection
Advocate for country-of-slaughter labeling to allow consumers to avoid long-transported products