Cheap meat comes at a high price to animal welfare

Animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and horses are routinely transported across continents to satisfy an ever increasing global demand for meat. To make this as cheap as possible, animals are transported in huge numbers resulting in enormous cruelty and suffering.

The main problems with live animal transport:

• Overcrowding – Animals are crammed into vehicles and often get injured or may even be trampled to death
• Exhaustion and Dehydration – They can be in transit for days, suffering extremes of temperature and often without sufficient food, water or rest. Many die as a result
• Animals are sentient beings – They feel pain and stress just like us

When things go wrong

In addition to this routine suffering, often things go wrong with disastrous consequences for the animals. In 2003 the Cormo Express carried 57000 sheep from Australia to Saudi Arabia but was not allowed to unload. The sheep remained on board for 3 months in appalling and deteriorating conditions. Over 5000 died.

Compassion in World Farming believes that no animal should travel more than 8 hours to its final destination. It is widely accepted that animals should be fattened and slaughtered as near as possible to home. We believe that the transport of live animals should be replaced by a trade in meat.

The end of the road

The suffering often does not end when the journey is over. In many countries, animals are brutally loaded and unloaded using electric goads and sticks. Standards of slaughter vary enormously too. Some animals are inadequately stunned or not stunned at all before slaughter.

The spread of disease is another issue associated with the long distance transport of live animals.