Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Long Distance Transport Welfare

Long distance livestock transport remains one of the most welfare-controversial aspects of the global food system.

Key Facts

EU regulations allow journeys of up to 29 hours for cattle with an 1-hour rest then continuation
Long distance live export from the EU to third countries has faced sustained welfare criticism
Journey duration, loading density, temperature and resting breaks all affect welfare outcomes
CCTV and electronic monitoring are being piloted to improve compliance verification
Some countries and retailers are committing to slaughter closer to the point of production

Welfare Considerations

Long distance transport imposes cumulative welfare harms from stress, injury, exhaustion and inadequate care during journeys. The welfare case for replacing live export with chilled meat trade is compelling. Limiting journey duration to the minimum necessary reduces welfare harm significantly.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for reducing maximum journey times and ending long-distance live export
Choose beef and dairy from supply chains committed to local slaughter close to farm of origin
Advocate for regulatory strengthening of transport welfare requirements and monitoring