Policy

Antibiotic Use and Animal Welfare

Routine antibiotic use in livestock farming enables intensive conditions that compromise animal welfare and drives antimicrobial resistance.

Key Facts

Approximately 73% of all antibiotics are used in livestock farming
The EU banned routine preventive antibiotic use in 2022
Many low-welfare intensive systems depend on antibiotics to maintain productivity
Antibiotic resistance kills 700,000 people annually and is projected to reach 10 million
Animals in better welfare conditions require fewer antibiotics

Welfare Considerations

The link between antibiotic use and animal welfare is direct: intensive systems that crowd animals in poor conditions require routine antibiotics to prevent disease outbreaks. Restricting antibiotic use forces industry toward better conditions that reduce disease. Animals in systems dependent on prophylactic antibiotics are often living in conditions that cause chronic stress and immune compromise.

What You Can Do

Support policies restricting routine preventive antibiotic use in farming
Choose products from farms certified for antibiotic stewardship
Reduce consumption of intensively produced animal products
Advocate for One Health approaches that link human and animal health