Antibiotic use in livestock farming is deeply connected to animal welfare: healthier, lower-density animals need fewer antibiotics, while high-welfare reforms also address antimicrobial resistance concerns.
The connection between antibiotic use and animal welfare is bidirectional. Poor welfare creates the disease pressure that drives antibiotic dependence, and reducing antibiotic use requires welfare improvements that remove the root causes of that disease pressure. Reducing stocking density, improving ventilation, providing enrichment that reduces stress, and implementing better pain management all simultaneously improve welfare and reduce antibiotic need. Policies focused purely on antibiotic restriction without addressing underlying welfare drivers may simply shift suffering rather than reduce it. The most effective antimicrobial resistance strategies are those integrated with genuine welfare improvement programs that address the conditions causing disease.