Farm Antibiotic Stewardship and Animal Welfare

Reducing antibiotic use in farming is essential for human health but must be achieved alongside improvements in animal welfare rather than at the expense of it.

Key Facts

Approximately 70% of global antibiotic consumption occurs in food animal production
Routine prophylactic antibiotic use masks poor welfare conditions rather than addressing them
Antibiotic resistance is a critical global public health threat partly driven by agricultural use
Countries that have reduced agricultural antibiotics most successfully have simultaneously improved herd health
High health standards, biosecurity, and vaccination can replace most routine antibiotic use

Welfare Considerations

Responsible antibiotic stewardship requires that disease prevention strategies address root causes including poor housing, overcrowding, inadequate nutrition, and stress rather than simply removing antibiotic access. Withdrawal of antibiotics in systems where underlying welfare problems remain unaddressed increases disease burden and suffering. Successful models integrate antibiotic reduction with vaccination programmes, improved housing, and health monitoring to achieve both goals simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Choose meat and dairy products from farms certified to responsible antibiotic use standards
Support policy frameworks that link antibiotic use reduction to welfare improvement
Learn about the connection between farm animal welfare and antibiotic resistance
Ask retailers about antibiotic stewardship requirements in their supply chains
Support research into alternative disease prevention strategies that maintain welfare