Farm Animal Welfare

Agricultural Antibiotic Use and Animal Welfare

Overuse of antibiotics in agriculture drives antimicrobial resistance globally, while masking welfare problems that should be addressed through management improvements.

Key Facts

Over 70% of global antibiotic use is in animals, much of it for growth promotion
WHO has classified antimicrobial resistance as one of the top global public health threats
Denmark reduced agricultural antibiotic use by 50% through a surveillance and reduction programme
The EU banned antibiotic growth promoters in 2006; many countries have not followed
Reduced antibiotic use requires improved animal welfare and husbandry rather than just prohibition

Welfare Considerations

Antibiotics used to prevent disease in poor conditions mask underlying welfare problems. Pigs and chickens in crowded, barren, or unsanitary conditions develop disease that is treated with medication rather than by improving conditions. This creates a cycle that simultaneously harms animal welfare and public health. Reducing antibiotic use sustainably requires improving the conditions that make animals susceptible to disease.

What You Can Do

Choose meat from farms with low antibiotic use verified by assurance schemes
Support the Alliance to Save our Antibiotics campaign
Advocate for national antibiotic use reduction targets in agriculture
Reduce meat consumption to lower overall demand for intensively farmed products
Ask retailers about antibiotic use policies in their supply chains