Antimicrobial Stewardship and Animal Welfare: Linked Imperatives

Responsible antibiotic use in livestock requires improving the welfare conditions that make prophylactic antibiotic use necessary, linking AMR stewardship to welfare improvement.

Key Facts

Antimicrobial resistance is projected to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if unaddressed
Livestock antibiotic use contributes to resistance through selection pressure on bacteria
Denmark reduced livestock antibiotic use by 50% through combination of regulatory and welfare improvements
Responsible antibiotic use means treating sick animals while preventing unnecessary prophylactic use
Welfare improvements that reduce disease prevalence reduce the need for antibiotics structurally

Welfare Considerations

Antimicrobial stewardship and welfare improvement are inseparable because poor welfare conditions require antibiotics to remain viable. Addressing AMR in livestock means addressing the overcrowding, stress, and poor biosecurity that create disease pressure. This welfare-AMR linkage provides a powerful policy argument: reducing livestock antibiotic use necessarily requires improving livestock welfare.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns linking livestock welfare improvement to AMR stewardship
Advocate for AMR reduction plans to require welfare improvement alongside antibiotic reduction
Choose animal products from farms with transparent antibiotic stewardship and welfare policies
Donate to One Health research connecting animal welfare, antibiotic use, and human health