Livestock Disease Prevention: Antibiotic Stewardship and Herd Health Planning

Antibiotic overuse in livestock farming threatens both human health and animal welfare. Preventive health programs reduce disease burden and antibiotic reliance simultaneously.

Key Facts

Approximately 70% of global antibiotic use is in food animal production in some estimates
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria from livestock farming are transmitted to humans through food and environmental routes
The EU has banned preventive use of antibiotics in groups of healthy animals since 2022
Herd health planning focuses on vaccination, biosecurity, and management to prevent disease
Reducing antibiotic use often requires improving housing, management, and genetics simultaneously

Welfare Considerations

Antibiotic stewardship in livestock farming is simultaneously a welfare, public health, and regulatory issue. Historically, antibiotics have been used as a substitute for adequate housing, management, and genetics — treating disease that preventive measures could have avoided. This has contributed to antimicrobial resistance while masking poor welfare. The transition to reduced antibiotic use typically requires fundamental improvements in farm management: better housing that reduces disease challenge, robust vaccination programs, genetic selection for disease resistance, and improved nutrition. These changes generally benefit animal welfare as well as reducing antibiotic reliance. Outcome-based monitoring — tracking disease rates and antibiotic use together — enables continuous improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose meat and dairy products certified to schemes with antibiotic stewardship requirements
Support policies restricting preventive antibiotic use in food animal production
Learn about how farming practices influence antibiotic resistance
Engage with food companies on their antibiotic stewardship policies