ESCAS and LGAP in the Australian Live Cattle Export Trade: A Value Chain Perspective

Abstract

The cattle industry is one of the most important agricultural sectors in Australia and the live cattle export trade is one of the largest sources of export revenue. However, in recent years it has attracted much attention and criticism from the government, the public and animal welfare groups. In this paper the live cattle export value chain and the drivers of performance are critically evaluated with a focus on the recently introduced ESCAS and LGAP export regulations. The main objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives and their respective impacts on this value chain’s ability to maximise surplus. The introduction of ESCAS has improved animal welfare standards but impo..