Long-distance transport of live farm animals causes significant welfare harm from crowding, temperature extremes, injury, and deprivation, with evidence supporting replacement by carcass trade.
Long-distance livestock transport is one of the largest-scale welfare problems in European food production. Animals on journeys exceeding 8 hours experience cumulative deprivation — thirst, hunger, exhaustion, and physical injury from crowding and falls — that is well documented and largely unavoidable within current transport systems. The welfare harms are not exceptional events but the predictable outcome of transport durations that exceed physiological tolerance for the species involved. The fundamental reform is replacing live animal export with carcass trade: slaughtering animals close to their origin and exporting the product eliminates the transport welfare problem while maintaining economic value. Political and economic resistance to this reform is strong, making consumer pressure and regulatory enforcement the primary available levers.