Farm Animal Welfare

Farmed Animal Welfare Antibiotic Stewardship

Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use in farming improves both animal welfare through better disease prevention and public health through reduced resistance.

Key Facts

An estimated 73 percent of global antibiotics are used in livestock production
Antibiotic overuse drives antimicrobial resistance that threatens human medicine
Better animal welfare reduces disease incidence and antibiotic need
Several countries have successfully reduced agricultural antibiotic use without welfare setbacks

Welfare Considerations

Reliance on antibiotics as a substitute for good welfare management means that welfare problems are medicated rather than prevented. Animals kept in conditions that promote disease face ongoing illness and the stress of repeated treatment. Welfare improvements that reduce disease incidence through better housing, lower stress, and improved nutrition reduce antibiotic use while simultaneously improving animal wellbeing.

What You Can Do

Support farms certified to antibiotic stewardship programs
Advocate for restrictions on prophylactic antibiotic use in farming
Choose animal products from farms with documented low antibiotic use
Support research on disease prevention approaches that reduce antibiotic dependence