**3. Results**

In this section, we briefly present evidence from our data based on participants' responses, organised by key themes. We analyse these data in more detail in the discussion.

#### *3.1. Transport as Compared to Other Concerns*

As mentioned previously, participant responses to open questions about areas of concern within the red meat production sector highlighted that transport was a key area that was considered to impact negatively on farm animal welfare. This concern was particularly apparent in the context of the responses to the initial orientation question, which asked participants to describe the images that come to mind when they think about beef cattle or meat sheep farming, as illustrated below:

Researcher: So when I ask you to ge<sup>t</sup> a picture in your mind about animal farming, beef or sheep cattle what kind of images come to your mind?

US3: Umm what disturbs me is animal transport

Researcher: Right

US3: So I just see animals packed into vehicles Researcher: So that is what you see here in the streets of Adelaide or are you talking about what you see on television?

US3: Uh no what I see because I live at Crafers [A suburb in the foothills east of Adelaide and connected to the Central Business District (downtown) by a freeway that connects the city with farmland and a large abattoir] and I am up and down the freeway regularly so we pass next to or behind the vehicle like that. I do find it quite distressing.

Researcher: When you think of cattle farming in your head, what kind of images do you see?

PFG8: I think of umm the sheep in the uhh trucks, all shoved in there, that's what I think of yeah. On Portrush Road [This road is a major north-south thoroughfare in Adelaide that also runs through high SES suburbs] yeah.

Researcher: So when I say sheep and beef farming, what do you think of? What sorts of images come to mind?

SB4: Oh, crowded cattle trucks, you know, animals being badly bloody treated actually.

Researcher: Can you elaborate a bit more on that?

SB4: You know, you see some cattle trucks sometimes, they're absolutely, animals crammed in, you know? You see the live beef export, that's disgusting. You see the ships being loaded up with sheep and that, I don't know if they still do live sheep exports. And I've seen some of that ... documentary, I forget what they call it now but it showed film, belting the crap out of them so yeah I just think of cruelty.

Researcher: When I talk about sheep and beef farming, what sort of pictures come to your head?

GB1: Sheep and beef farming. Well I see the sheep out in the paddock [pause] ... I don't like the way they ge<sup>t</sup> pushed into the trucks.

Researcher: You don't like the trucks?

GB1: No. They're pushed in, they push, push, just how many ge<sup>t</sup> in? Then I, what I don't like when they ge<sup>t</sup> transported.

Themes emerging from the data reveal that the participants in this research described transport in negative terms, such as "cruelty", and used emotional language, such as "distress" and "disgust", to express their perceptions of transport that they both witnessed first-hand, as well as via media representations. In summary, participants perceived that various aspects of livestock transportation had a negative impact on animal welfare and were concerned. As there were notable differences in the way participants described transport via truck and transport via ship, the following sections examine these modes of transport separately.

#### *3.2. Perceptions of Transport via Truck*

As seen in the quotes above, transport by truck was described in emotional language by participants. The predominant concern was the idea that animals are "crammed", "shoved", or forced into trucks, with limited space to move, and that this was "bad treatment".

Other participants described transport in terms of the emotions expressed by the animals being transported, as illustrated below:

US2: It really troubles me on a really hot day when you drive down the road and there is a cattle van or a chicken truck and it's a really hot day and they are in a metal van and they're all just crammed in against the hot walls ... they look troubled and you know you see them sniffing at the side of the thing and it's horrible. It makes me really, really sad.

This quote also illustrates participants' concerns about the impacts of exposure to the environment on farm animal welfare during transportation. In addition, participants perceived that there were risks of injury during transportation:

GB1: ... [I'm] not happy when they ge<sup>t</sup> pushed into trucks, especially up I think in the Northern Territory well where there's big trucks and . . . sometimes the leg hangs out and I don't like the way they ge<sup>t</sup> transported.

Participants were also concerned about the impacts of long-distance transportation on animal welfare and linked these impacts to the resulting meat quality:

Researcher: You mentioned ah slaughter ... are there any aspects of that that concern you more than others?

MFG9: Ah yeah, quite a lot, particularly in Victoria because we have very structured system which makes it very difficult for farmers to, for instance, go to a smaller abattoir. A lot of time they are forced to take the animals long distances which often means putting them into, jamming them into trucks and putting the animals under an enormous amount of stress umm which I think is bad for the animals, it is bad for the meat.

In summary, participants expressed concerns about animals being tightly packed for transportation via truck and associated transportation with exposure to the environment and risk of injury, both of which they viewed as impacting negatively on animal welfare.

#### *3.3. Perceptions of Transport via Ship*

Similar to perceptions of truck transport, participants expressed disgust and concern for animal suffering when animals were tightly packed on live export vessels and transported long distances:

Researcher: You don't like live export?

UB1: Not really. Have you ever been on one of the ships? It is absolutely foul.

Researcher: Are you worried about the animals on the [live export] trip or about what happens to them when they ge<sup>t</sup> to the other end?

SS2: Both because you know they're packed so tightly and haven't go<sup>t</sup> water and access to. I don't know. I just know it's a long journey and it's cruelty and they suffer.

Participants were not only worried about the transportation process, but also expressed concerns about the destination countries, often voicing fears about how the animals are treated in countries who receive livestock through the live export supply chain. Concerns about animal treatment in receiving countries were generally associated by participants with halal slaughter practices as most countries which receive live animals from Australia have a Islamic majority.

Researcher: Are there any issues you are unsure about associated with beef and sheep production?

SB2: I am only unsure of when the sheep or livestock is shipped overseas. To say for instance to Indonesia or any Asian country or anywhere, how they are treated there. I have go<sup>t</sup> a bit of a thing about that because there has been programs on TV ... [talking about] the inhumane attitude they have toward these animals. So it is a concern, I must admit.

Many participants advocated for the live export industry to be closed, often suggesting that processing in Australia would be a better option.

UB3: I feel that the live animal export is a major issue as far as I am concerned personally and everyone in my circles. I think we can do far more for this country by bringing onshore the abattoirs and processing situations and if [other] countries insist on having our live animals then I am afraid it should be a closed door and we seek other markets that do accept our processed meat.

Ultimately, participants believed the live export trade to be unnecessary and often questioned why animals are subject to poor conditions on ships when in their views other viable alternatives exist within the Australian meat processing sector.

#### *3.4. Transporters as the Problematic 'Middle Men'*

Participants' perceptions revealed that they viewed transportation as a distinct stage in the production of red meat and one that was beyond the 'care' of farmers. Transporters were viewed as 'middle men', and were considered to include those working in the parts of the value chain between farmers and consumers, those involved in the sale of livestock in saleyards, and arguably even those in the retail sector as revealed in the quotes below:

Researcher: Do you think farmers do enough to ensure good animal welfare?

UB3: Umm we are talking about sheep and cattle, yes. But it is after that when they go out to the live trade umm that worries me. In the trucks, that worries me. Once they leave the farm gate I am concerned. The third, the second, the person in the middle. The middle man before the abattoir I really care about . . .

SB2: That is what it is all about. It's all a business. It is the second and third man that make [agricultural] business a problem.

## *3.5. Transport to Slaughter*

The fact that animals in livestock trucks were being transported to slaughter also impacted on participants' perceptions of transportation. Participants expressed that there is a special responsibility on the part of transporters and others to ensure good welfare because animals were travelling to "their deaths", as exemplified by the following quotes:

SS3: Umm I just think of the animals and I feel sorry for them because ultimately they are going to be killed and that's, what, emotionally I think ohh that isn't good.

US2: I think the way that they are transported from their farm or their shed or wherever they are coming from to go to the place they are killed, some thought needs to be put into that as well ... So I feel like they're, if it could be just one bad day, I guess that's nice but making sure that day is not painful and unpleasant as possible.

These quotes demonstrate that participants respond emotionally to the idea of animals travelling to slaughter and believe that animals should be treated particularly well during this process.

#### **4. Discussion: Why is Transport So Problematic?**
