The overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming drives antimicrobial resistance — a global health crisis — while masking welfare problems that should be addressed through management improvement rather than medication.
Antibiotic dependency in intensive livestock farming is both a symptom and a cause of welfare failure. Animals kept in chronically stressful, overcrowded conditions are immunocompromised and disease-prone — antibiotics hold these systems together artificially. Removing antibiotics from these systems without improving underlying conditions would cause disease outbreaks; improving conditions reduces antibiotic need organically. The UK's success in reducing farm antibiotic use demonstrates that reform is achievable, but requires investment in better husbandry rather than simple withdrawal of medication.