Transport remains one of the most welfare-compromising events in the lives of farmed animals. Advanced understanding of transport physiology and management guides evidence-based welfare improvement.
Livestock transport welfare improvement requires acknowledging that even well-managed transport is stressful for animals, and that current regulations in most countries permit journey durations and conditions that welfare science indicates cause significant harm. The ideal welfare outcome is local slaughter that eliminates long-distance transport — a systems solution that eliminates the welfare problem rather than managing it. Where transport is unavoidable, welfare improvement requires: shorter journeys with appropriate rest breaks, feed and water provision, maintenance of social groups, appropriate vehicle design, and fitness assessment before loading. The technology now exists to monitor transport welfare in real-time — temperature sensors, accelerometers, behavioral cameras — creating opportunities for intervention before welfare situations become severe. Consumer choice of locally produced and slaughtered meat can reduce transport welfare harm while supporting local food system resilience.