Livestock Antibiotic Stewardship and Welfare

Reducing antibiotic use in livestock farming is essential for public health, but must be achieved through welfare improvements rather than simply withholding treatment from sick animals.

Key Facts

Over 70% of global antibiotic use by volume is in livestock, primarily for growth promotion and disease prevention
The EU banned prophylactic antibiotic use in group treatments without individual clinical justification from 2022
Antimicrobial resistance driven by agricultural antibiotic use is estimated to cause 700,000 human deaths annually
Poor welfare conditions that predispose animals to disease are the root cause of high antibiotic dependence
Welfare-focused farming systems with low stocking density and good management typically use far fewer antibiotics

Welfare Considerations

The relationship between antibiotic stewardship and animal welfare is complex and important. Reducing antibiotic use is a global public health priority, but the right approach is to reduce disease burden through welfare improvements — better nutrition, lower stocking density, improved ventilation, reduced stress — rather than simply denying treatment to sick animals. Withholding antibiotics from genuinely ill animals is an animal welfare failure. The farms with the lowest antibiotic use are typically those with the best welfare — because healthy, low-stress animals in good environments simply get sick less. Welfare investment is therefore a stewardship strategy, not just an ethical choice.

What You Can Do

Support farms and certification schemes that reduce antibiotic use through welfare improvement rather than withholding treatment
Ask food companies about their livestock antibiotic stewardship policies
Support EU-style regulations phasing out prophylactic antibiotic use in your country
Choose meat products from certified systems with documented low antibiotic use
Donate to organizations developing disease prevention tools that reduce antibiotic dependence on farms