The overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming contributes to antimicrobial resistance — a global health crisis. Reducing antibiotic use requires improving animal welfare conditions that make disease prevention possible.
Antibiotic use and animal welfare are deeply interlinked. Overcrowded, stressful, nutritionally deficient farm environments create conditions where disease spreads rapidly and antibiotics become the default management tool rather than the last resort. Improving animal welfare — through better housing, reduced stocking density, improved nutrition, and stress reduction — creates healthier animals that require fewer antibiotics. This makes welfare improvement not only an ethical priority but a public health intervention. Countries that have invested in higher welfare standards alongside antibiotic stewardship have achieved the greatest reductions in use. Conversely, systems that rely on routine antibiotics to manage poor welfare conditions perpetuate both animal suffering and resistance development.