Antimicrobial Resistance and Farm Animal Welfare: Linked Crises

Antibiotic overuse in livestock drives antimicrobial resistance, threatening both human health and farm animal welfare. Understanding this connection motivates welfare-positive antibiotic stewardship.

Key Facts

An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used globally are used in food animal production
Subtherapeutic antibiotic use for growth promotion was common until banned in the EU in 2006 and the US in 2017
Resistance genes can transfer from livestock bacteria to human pathogens, reducing treatment effectiveness for human infections
The WHO classifies antimicrobial resistance as one of the greatest threats to global health
Farm animals in systems with high antibiotic use often have high disease rates that necessitate the antibiotic use - a chicken-and-egg problem
Welfare improvements that reduce disease rates in livestock reduce antibiotic needs, addressing both welfare and resistance simultaneously

Welfare Considerations

Antimicrobial resistance and farm animal welfare are linked crises with a shared solution: improving animal welfare conditions reduces disease rates, reducing the antibiotic pressure that drives resistance. Systems with high stocking density, poor ventilation, and inadequate nutrition have high disease rates requiring frequent antibiotic intervention. Improving housing, reducing stocking density, and implementing preventive health programs reduces disease and antibiotic use simultaneously. The welfare-positive approach to antibiotic stewardship addresses root causes of disease rather than managing disease symptomatically with antibiotics. This creates alignment between welfare advocates and public health advocates around a shared objective.

What You Can Do

Choose meat from producers certified under antibiotic stewardship programs (no routine antibiotics)
Support legislation restricting agricultural antibiotic use to therapeutic purposes only
Advocate for welfare improvements in livestock systems as a primary strategy for reducing antibiotic dependence
Engage with food companies about their antibiotic use policies and commitments to responsible stewardship
Reduce meat consumption overall as this reduces total antibiotic use in the food system
Support research linking welfare improvements to reduced disease rates and antibiotic use in livestock