Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Welfare and Long-Distance Export

Live export of cattle over long distances causes significant welfare harm from prolonged transport stress. Alternatives including chilled meat export and local slaughter improve welfare.

Key Facts

Live cattle export routes including within Europe can involve 30+ hours of transport
Dehydration, heat stress, injury, and disease are common welfare problems on long journeys
EU regulations set maximum journey times that are often exceeded or poorly enforced
Replacing live export with trade in chilled carcases maintains economic value without welfare cost
The UK banned live export for slaughter in 2023 following sustained campaign pressure

Welfare Considerations

Long-distance live export causes preventable welfare suffering. Replacing live export with chilled meat trade eliminates this welfare harm while maintaining trade value.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for global bans on long-distance live cattle export
Choose beef products from countries with live export restrictions
Advocate for improved EU enforcement of live export welfare regulations
Learn about the welfare impacts of long-distance live export