The overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming has driven antimicrobial resistance and sometimes masked welfare problems. Responsible stewardship protects both animal welfare and human health.
Antibiotic stewardship in livestock intersects directly with animal welfare in two important ways. First, overuse of antibiotics can mask welfare problems — treating disease symptoms without addressing the underlying conditions (crowding, poor ventilation, stress) that make animals susceptible. Second, reducing antibiotic use requires improving the husbandry conditions that cause disease in the first place — lower stocking densities, better nutrition, improved biosecurity — which are inherently welfare improvements. The countries that have most successfully reduced livestock antibiotic use have done so by investing in preventive health management rather than reactive treatment. This demonstrates that good antibiotic stewardship and good animal welfare are mutually reinforcing goals rather than competing priorities.