The use of antibiotics in animal farming contributes to antimicrobial resistance with significant implications for both human and animal welfare.
Antibiotic stewardship is simultaneously a public health and animal welfare imperative. Animals on farms that rely on antibiotics rather than high welfare conditions to maintain health suffer from preventable disease and poor living conditions. Conversely, animals in systems where antibiotics cannot be effectively used due to resistance face untreatable suffering. The long-term welfare of farm animals depends on preserving antibiotic efficacy.