Examining the welfare challenges of transporting livestock — cattle, pigs, sheep, and poultry — over long distances, and the regulatory and practical improvements that reduce suffering during transit.
Livestock transport is one of the most welfare-significant components of the animal production system, affecting billions of animals annually. The welfare costs include acute stress from loading and handling, exhaustion from prolonged standing, temperature extremes in transit vehicles, competition for limited water and feed access during journeys, and injury from vehicle motion. Long-distance live animal export — particularly the trade between Europe and the Middle East, and Australia to Southeast Asia — has attracted significant welfare controversy because journey durations, conditions, and slaughter standards at destination cannot be controlled at origin. The welfare-positive alternative of slaughtering at origin and exporting chilled carcasses is resisted by economic interests but is achievable in many trade relationships.