Livestock Antibiotic Stewardship and Animal Welfare

Responsible antibiotic use in livestock is essential for both animal welfare and the global public health challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

Key Facts

An estimated 73% of global antimicrobial consumption occurs in livestock production
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens effective treatment of infections in both humans and animals
Overuse of antibiotics masks welfare problems by treating disease symptoms rather than addressing root causes
Prophylactic antibiotic use — dosing healthy animals to prevent disease — is banned in the EU but still common elsewhere
Welfare improvements including enrichment, reduced stocking density, and better biosecurity reduce antibiotic need
Farms with good welfare standards consistently use fewer antibiotics than farms with poor welfare practices
The AMR Action Fund and global initiatives are investing in new antibiotic development while stewardship programs reduce existing use

Welfare Considerations

The relationship between animal welfare and antibiotic stewardship is bidirectional: poor welfare creates conditions that necessitate antibiotics, while antibiotic availability creates incentives to tolerate poor welfare that would otherwise be economically unsustainable. Welfare improvement is therefore an antibiotic stewardship strategy. Reducing prophylactic antibiotic use exposes welfare deficits that were being masked by medication, creating pressure for genuine husbandry improvements. The welfare-positive case for antibiotic stewardship emphasizes that animals deserve environments where they are healthy without pharmacological support — and that this is achievable with appropriate investment in husbandry standards.

What You Can Do

Choose meat, dairy, and eggs certified under antibiotic stewardship programs
Support legislation phasing out prophylactic antibiotic use in livestock globally
Advocate for antibiotic stewardship requirements in public procurement of animal products
Reduce meat consumption to decrease total antibiotic use through reduced livestock numbers
Support research into alternatives to antibiotics including vaccines, probiotics, and improved husbandry