Farm Animal Welfare

Antibiotic Use in Livestock and Animal Welfare

Overuse of antibiotics in livestock farming masks underlying welfare problems while driving antimicrobial resistance — linking animal welfare to global public health outcomes.

Key Facts

Around 70% of global antibiotic use occurs in food-producing animals
Prophylactic antibiotic use frequently conceals poor housing and welfare conditions
EU banned growth-promoter antibiotic use in 2006; many countries have not
AMR kills an estimated 700,000 people annually and is projected to rise sharply
Farms with higher welfare standards typically use significantly fewer antibiotics

Welfare Considerations

Antibiotic overuse in livestock is both a symptom and a cause of poor welfare. Animals in crowded, stressful conditions require antibiotics to survive conditions that damage their health. Reducing antibiotic dependence requires addressing the root welfare causes — better housing, lower stocking density, and disease prevention — rather than simply banning drugs while leaving conditions unchanged.

What You Can Do

Choose meat from farms with verified low antibiotic use
Support policies banning prophylactic antibiotic use in healthy livestock
Advocate for linking welfare standards to antibiotic stewardship programs
Reduce meat consumption overall to decrease antibiotic-use-intensive production
Follow organizations like RUMA and Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics for policy updates