Animal Welfare and Antibiotic Stewardship

The overuse of antibiotics in factory farming drives antimicrobial resistance that threatens both human and animal health. Welfare improvements and antibiotic reduction go hand in hand.

Key Facts

Approximately 73% of all antibiotics sold globally are used in livestock production
Routine preventive antibiotic use masks welfare problems — sick animals in poor conditions need fewer drugs when conditions improve
The WHO classifies antimicrobial resistance as one of the ten global public health threats
Denmark cut livestock antibiotic use by 50% while maintaining productivity by improving welfare standards
Critically important antibiotics for human medicine are still used as growth promoters in some countries
Higher welfare systems — more space, enrichment, lower stocking densities — are associated with lower antibiotic needs

Welfare Considerations

The relationship between animal welfare and antibiotic stewardship is direct and bidirectional. Poor welfare conditions — overcrowding, chronic stress, poor air quality — increase disease burden and antibiotic dependence. Improving welfare reduces the need for preventive antibiotics. Countries that have legislated welfare improvements have simultaneously reduced AMR risk. This creates a powerful dual argument for welfare reform: it improves animal lives and protects human health. The framing of welfare as a public health issue opens new policy and funding avenues for advocates.

What You Can Do

Support political parties and candidates who back antibiotic regulation in agriculture
Choose higher welfare meat, dairy, and eggs labelled as antibiotic-free or RSPCA Assured
Campaign for a ban on routine preventive antibiotic use in livestock in your country
Share the WHO and FAIRR data on AMR and farming with decision-makers in your network
Engage with human health organisations on the welfare-AMR co-benefits of farming reform