The overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming threatens human health through antimicrobial resistance. But reducing antibiotic use without improving underlying welfare conditions risks increased untreated animal suffering.
Antibiotic stewardship and animal welfare are deeply interconnected. The extensive antibiotic use in livestock was largely a response to the disease burden created by intensive, welfare-compromising farming conditions. Reducing antibiotic use without addressing those underlying conditions risks creating animals that suffer from untreated infections. True antibiotic stewardship requires simultaneous investment in welfare improvements - less crowding, better ventilation, enrichment, lower stress - that reduce disease incidence. The UK's success in reducing antibiotic use has been partly driven by exactly this combination of regulatory pressure on usage and guidance on improving husbandry standards.