High antibiotic use in pig farming is both a public health concern and a welfare indicator; reducing use through welfare improvements is a win for animals, humans, and farms.
The relationship between pig welfare and antibiotic use is one of the clearest examples of how ethics and public health align. Poor welfare conditions — overcrowding, stress, poor nutrition, inadequate hygiene — predispose pigs to disease, driving antibiotic demand. Improving welfare conditions (lower stocking density, enriched environments, better ventilation, stress-free management) reduces disease pressure and antibiotic dependence. The Netherlands example demonstrates that dramatic reductions are achievable without production decline. Welfare certification and antibiotic reduction targets reinforce each other: certification bodies increasingly include antibiotic use monitoring, and low-use farms typically have demonstrably better welfare. Treating welfare as an antibiotic stewardship strategy creates aligned incentives across the food system.