Antibiotic Alternatives and Animal Welfare

Developing alternatives to antibiotics in livestock farming addresses both AMR concerns and the welfare conditions that make antibiotics necessary.

Key Facts

Probiotics can reduce pathogen load in livestock reducing infection risk and antibiotic need
Phage therapy using viruses that kill specific bacteria is being developed for livestock use
Improved nutrition and management reduce the disease pressure that drives antibiotic use
Organic acids and essential oils show some efficacy as feed additives reducing pathogen burden
Vaccination programs prevent diseases that would otherwise require antibiotic treatment

Welfare Considerations

Antibiotic alternatives create welfare benefits by enabling the conditions that prevent disease without antibiotics rather than treating disease after it occurs. Vaccines that prevent painful diseases, probiotics that maintain gut health, and management improvements that reduce stress and disease susceptibility all contribute to welfare as well as antibiotic stewardship. Investment in alternatives reflects the understanding that antibiotic use is symptomatic of welfare problems rather than a solution to them.

What You Can Do

Support research into antibiotic alternatives for livestock disease prevention
Advocate for antibiotic alternatives to be supported alongside AMR stewardship programs
Choose animal products from farms investing in antibiotic alternative approaches
Donate to research into vaccination, probiotics, and management approaches that reduce antibiotic dependency