Every year, millions of farm animals around the world are forced to endure journeys of hundreds, or even thousands, of miles, only to be slaughtered on arrival or be fattened, often in inhumane conditions.

Live animals, including calves, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and horses are routinely transported by road, rail, sea or air across continents. During their perilous journeys, they face extreme conditions such as overcrowding, exhaustion, dehydration, pain, and stress. In addition to this suffering, sometimes disasters can strike onboard; fires, ship sinkings, disease outbreaks, and trade route blockages, resulting in dire consequences causing thousands of casualties.

Compassion in World Farming has been campaigning on this issue for decades, calling for:

• A ban on transporting live animals over long distance
• A ban on international exports of live animals
• Better enforcement of international legislation and guidelines on the welfare of animals in transport and slaughter
• Ensuring animals are fattened and slaughtered as close as possible to their place of birth

In 2016, Compassion launched Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day – an annual day of global action on June 14, where people all over the world come together in solidarity to speak out against this horrific and outdated trade.

This awareness day has now become a catalyst for action globally with a network of more than 150 NGOs and groups, spanning over 40 Countries – from Brazil to Australia and South Korea. We have taken part in protests, marches, petition launches, demonstrations, Twitter storms, and investigation launches in efforts to urge those in power to end live exports, once and for all.