Long-distance transport of farm animals is one of the most significant sources of acute welfare compromise, with millions of animals experiencing injury, illness, and death during transit annually.
Long-distance live animal transport combines almost every possible welfare insult: confinement, food and water deprivation, unfamiliar companions, unpredictable motion, and extreme temperatures. The welfare evidence for restricting journey times and improving vehicle standards is overwhelming, yet economic pressures consistently override welfare considerations in regulatory frameworks. Slaughter at origin with chilled or frozen transport eliminates the welfare problem entirely for food animals, and this approach is expanding. Journey time limits, mandatory rest periods, improved vehicle design, and technology-assisted monitoring represent achievable improvements within existing live transport systems.