Reducing antibiotic use in animal agriculture and improving welfare are complementary strategies; welfare improvements reduce disease pressure requiring antibiotics.
Prophylactic antibiotic use in intensive farming masks welfare problems rather than resolving them. When antibiotics are reduced or eliminated, underlying welfare issues — crowding, disease pressure, poor nutrition — become apparent and must be addressed directly. This creates a productive tension that drives genuine welfare improvement. EU experience shows that welfare and antibiotic reduction are synergistic rather than competing goals.