Livestock

Antibiotic Use in Farming: Welfare and Resistance Consequences

Routine antibiotic use in livestock farming masks suffering, promotes resistance, and enables conditions that would otherwise require welfare intervention.

Key Facts

80% of US antibiotics sold are used in agriculture, primarily in livestock
Antibiotics are routinely added to feed to promote growth and prevent disease in crowded conditions
Antibiotic resistance causes an estimated 700,000 human deaths annually globally
EU banned routine preventive antibiotic use in 2022
Antibiotic use masks disease conditions that would otherwise require farm welfare improvements

Welfare Considerations

Routine antibiotics suppress disease symptoms in farm animals living in conditions that would otherwise generate visible suffering requiring intervention. They enable crowding that causes endemic suffering but is financially viable only because antibiotics prevent disease outbreaks. Reduction in antibiotic use requires genuine welfare improvements in stocking density, ventilation, and living conditions.

What You Can Do

Choose antibiotic-free certified meat and dairy products
Advocate for EU-style antibiotic use reform in your country
Support organizations tracking antibiotic resistance in agriculture
Reduce meat consumption to decrease demand for antibiotic-dependent farming
Donate to Natural Resources Defense Council antibiotic resistance campaigns