Seminar on cross-border cattle trade in Southeast Asia

In this seminar promoted by the GI QPD and the LABOUR Project, the researcher focuses on the cattle trade in Southeast Asia, highlighting the complex movement of live animals across international borders. Entitled “Appetite for hot and fresh meat, cross-border livestock trade in Southeast Asia and border territories of non-human animals”, the seminar analyzes the cultural demand for freshly slaughtered beef, a phenomenon conditioned by sophisticated food infrastructures and transport chains.

The seminar maps the continuous movement of cattle from northeastern India and Bangladesh to southern China, passing through countries such as Myanmar and Thailand. This trade faces challenges related to border instability and security in conflict zones, highlighting Mae Sot in Thailand as an important transit point. Mae Sot, with its strict “sanitary border”, requires vaccinations and disease controls, making it a critical point of contact for animals and humans, where the survival and safety of those involved remains precarious.

The seminar highlights the complexity and risks associated with this practice, drawing attention to the need to consider the social, cultural and health impacts in border areas.

Jiraporn Laocharoenwong, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Chulalongkorn University, located at Bangkok, Thailand.