The overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming drives antibiotic resistance that threatens both human and animal health, creating a critical One Health challenge requiring systemic change.
Antibiotic use in livestock and animal welfare are deeply interconnected. The need for routine preventive antibiotics is often a symptom of welfare-compromising conditions - overcrowding, stress, and poor nutrition that create disease susceptibility. Better welfare reduces antibiotic need organically. The UK's success in reducing livestock antibiotic use demonstrates that the link between intensive production and antibiotic dependency is not inevitable. Supporting higher welfare systems simultaneously addresses animal suffering and antibiotic resistance - a genuine One Health win.