Long-distance transport of farmed animals is one of the most welfare-compromising stages of the food production system. Transport duration regulations vary enormously globally, with animals in many countries facing journeys lasting days.
Long-distance animal transport is a sustained welfare emergency that affects millions of animals annually. The combination of crowding, dehydration, food restriction, heat or cold exposure, and physical injury during loading and unloading creates compounding welfare harms over journeys that can last days. Animals arrive at their destination dehydrated, exhausted, and physiologically stressed - often to be immediately slaughtered under conditions worse than in the country of export. The use of live animal export rather than chilled carcass trade reflects the price premium on live animals in some markets, creating a strong economic incentive that overrides welfare concerns. New Zealand's ban on live exports demonstrates that the economic rationale for live export can be overcome when welfare evidence drives regulatory action.