Livestock

Antibiotic Use in Livestock and Its Welfare Connection

The overuse of antibiotics in farming creates antimicrobial resistance that threatens both human and animal health, while masking welfare problems in intensive systems.

Key Facts

Antibiotic use in livestock accounts for 73% of global antibiotic consumption
The EU banned preventive group antibiotic use in 2022
Denmark reduced farm antibiotic use by 50% with minimal production impact
Drug-resistant infections kill approximately 700,000 people globally per year
Higher welfare systems consistently use fewer antibiotics per animal

Welfare Considerations

Preventive antibiotic use allows poorly designed intensive systems to function by suppressing disease that would otherwise flourish in crowded, stressful conditions. This medicates welfare problems rather than solving them. When antibiotics fail due to resistance, animals suffer prolonged infections. The welfare-AMR connection means improving animal welfare by reducing stocking density, improving housing, and increasing enrichment simultaneously reduces antibiotic need.

What You Can Do

Choose antibiotic-free or low-antibiotic certified meat products
Support EU-standard antibiotic restrictions to be adopted globally
Advocate for higher welfare housing standards that reduce antibiotic dependency
Reduce meat consumption to reduce overall farm antibiotic demand
Support World Antibiotic Awareness Week campaigns