Science and Policy

Antibiotic Resistance and Animal Welfare

The overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming threatens human health while also masking animal welfare problems that require prevention rather than treatment.

Key Facts

Approximately 70% of all medically important antibiotics globally are used in animal agriculture
Antibiotic use in livestock is a primary driver of antimicrobial resistance in human pathogens
The WHO has classified many livestock antibiotics as critically important for human medicine
Antibiotics are often used preventively in intensive farms rather than treating specific illness
Better welfare conditions significantly reduce the need for antibiotic use in livestock

Welfare Considerations

The connection between antibiotic use and animal welfare runs in both directions: overuse of antibiotics to control disease in intensive systems is a sign of poor baseline welfare conditions that create disease pressure, while the development of antibiotic resistance removes treatment options for animal illness. The solution to both problems is the same: improve living conditions to reduce disease prevalence, thereby protecting both animal welfare and public health.

What You Can Do

Choose meat and dairy from farms with verified low antibiotic use
Support national regulations restricting prophylactic antibiotic use in livestock
Advocate for welfare improvement as an antibiotic stewardship strategy
Share information about the antibiotic resistance-welfare connection with policymakers
Support research on production systems that achieve low disease without antibiotic dependence