Antibiotic Stewardship in Farm Animals

Overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture contributes to antimicrobial resistance, a global health crisis. Improving antibiotic stewardship is simultaneously a welfare and public health issue.

Key Facts

Approximately 70% of medically important antibiotics globally are used in food-producing animals
Routine preventive antibiotic use in livestock has been banned in the EU since 2022
The UK has dramatically reduced veterinary antibiotic use - down 55% since 2014
Antibiotic resistance from animal reservoirs can transfer to humans through food, environment, and direct contact
Welfare improvements that reduce disease incidence reduce the need for antibiotics without compromising animal health

Welfare Considerations

Antibiotic stewardship and animal welfare are deeply linked. High antibiotic use in production systems is often a symptom of underlying welfare problems - overcrowding, stress, and poor housing that increase disease incidence and require antibiotic treatment. Reducing antibiotics without addressing underlying welfare conditions simply leaves sick animals without treatment. The optimal approach improves both welfare and antibiotic stewardship together: better housing, reduced stocking density, and improved biosecurity reduce disease incidence, making antibiotics both less necessary and more effective when needed.

What You Can Do

Support higher welfare farming standards that reduce disease incidence and antibiotic need
Advocate for global adoption of the EU prohibition on routine preventive antibiotic use
Choose meat and dairy from producers with transparent antibiotic use records
Support research into alternatives to antibiotics including vaccines and probiotics for farm animals