Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health crisis partly driven by livestock antibiotic use. Responsible stewardship that reduces antibiotic dependence improves both human health outcomes and animal welfare.
Antibiotic stewardship and animal welfare are more complementary than they might initially appear. Farms that achieve low antibiotic use through excellent management - reducing stocking density, improving nutrition, implementing biosecurity, using vaccines - typically have healthier animals with better welfare outcomes. The welfare and AMR cases align: the root cause of high antibiotic use is often welfare-compromised animals that are more susceptible to infection. Addressing the welfare causes of disease pressure simultaneously reduces antibiotic use and improves animal welfare. The farms that achieve both goals demonstrate that the apparent tension between welfare investment costs and antibiotic cost reduction is resolved at the farm level by better overall management.