The transport of billions of farm animals annually is associated with significant welfare challenges. Understanding transport risks and legal protections helps consumers and advocates promote improvements.
Long-distance live animal transport causes some of the most intense and prolonged welfare harms in commercial livestock production. Animals experience hours to days of fear, disorientation, physical discomfort, dehydration, and in worst cases death. The alternative - transporting carcasses or chilled meat rather than live animals - achieves the same commercial objectives while eliminating transport welfare harms. The persistence of long-distance live export reflects commercial interests that override animal welfare considerations. Consumer and political pressure has achieved live export bans in some jurisdictions and represents a meaningful lever for welfare improvement.