The welfare challenges and regulatory gaps in the global live animal export trade.
International live animal transport represents one of the most welfare-intensive activities in the global food system, exposing billions of animals annually to prolonged physical and psychological stress. The regulatory environment is fragmented, with standards varying enormously between exporting and importing countries and enforcement often inadequate. Animals may experience exhaustion, dehydration, thermal stress, injury from crowding, and disease during journeys lasting days or weeks. The economic drivers of the live trade are strong, making welfare reform dependent on concerted regulatory action and consumer pressure.