Antibiotic Use in Farming and Animal Welfare

Routine antibiotic use in livestock farming masks disease caused by poor welfare conditions, while also driving antibiotic resistance that harms both humans and animals.

Key Facts

Over 70 percent of antibiotics globally are used in livestock production
Many countries still permit prophylactic antibiotic use in healthy animals
Antibiotic resistance is projected to cause 10 million human deaths annually by 2050
Reducing antibiotic use requires improving underlying welfare conditions that cause disease
The EU banned prophylactic antibiotic use in 2022 as a major public health measure

Welfare Considerations

Routine antibiotic use enables farming systems to maintain animals at densities and in conditions that would otherwise cause disease outbreaks. Restricting antibiotic access without improving underlying welfare conditions simply causes more animals to die from disease. The welfare-appropriate response to antibiotic reduction is improved space, ventilation, diet, and management that prevents disease rather than masking it. Antibiotic resistance itself is a welfare issue — animals with resistant infections suffer more prolonged illness.

What You Can Do

Choose meat and dairy products from antibiotic-free or reduced-use certified producers
Advocate for national bans on prophylactic antibiotic use in livestock
Support higher welfare farming standards that reduce disease pressure
Ask retailers about antibiotic policies in their meat supply chains
Reduce meat consumption to reduce demand for high-density, antibiotic-dependent systems