How livestock transport causes welfare harms and what regulations and practices can reduce suffering during transit.
Livestock transport represents one of the most intensively studied and most poorly regulated aspects of farm animal welfare globally. The physiological and behavioral indicators of transport stress are well documented: cortisol elevation, injury rates, mortality, and post-transport immune suppression all provide evidence that transport causes significant welfare harms. Journey duration is the primary modifiable variable, with welfare deteriorating significantly beyond 4-8 hours for most species. The alternative of slaughter at origin with meat export rather than live animal export eliminates the welfare harms of long-distance transport while maintaining trade outcomes. Regulatory progress on transport welfare is slow because live animal trade serves economic interests that resist welfare-based reform.