Farmed Cattle Antibiotic Use and Animal Welfare

The routine use of antibiotics in livestock production raises welfare concerns both for treated animals and through the broader public health implications of antibiotic resistance, which threatens the ability to treat animal and human infections.

Key Facts

Approximately 70% of medically important antibiotics sold in the US are used in food animals, not humans
Subtherapeutic antibiotic use for growth promotion has been banned in the EU since 2006 and in the US since 2017
Prophylactic metaphylactic antibiotic use in feedlots continues despite growth promotion bans
Antibiotic resistance means that serious bacterial infections in animals increasingly fail to respond to treatment
Reducing antibiotic use in livestock requires improved housing, lower stocking density, and better biosecurity
The World Health Organization has called for ending routine antibiotic use in healthy livestock as a global health priority

Welfare Considerations

Antibiotic use in livestock production intersects with animal welfare in complex ways. On one hand, appropriate therapeutic use of antibiotics treats painful infections and saves animal lives. On the other hand, routine prophylactic use masks welfare problems by suppressing disease that results from overcrowded and stressful conditions rather than addressing the underlying management failures. The rise of antibiotic resistance means that future generations of animals may face infections that cannot be treated, with serious welfare consequences. Reducing antibiotic dependence requires improving the conditions that make mass prophylactic treatment necessary — itself a significant welfare improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose beef from producers who have committed to antibiotic stewardship and transparency in antibiotic reporting
Support organizations working on antibiotic stewardship in agriculture including the Natural Resources Defense Council
Advocate for mandatory reporting of antibiotic use in livestock by species and drug class
Reduce beef consumption to reduce demand for intensive systems that rely on routine antibiotic use
Support research into alternatives to antibiotics including improved vaccines, probiotics, and housing system improvements