Livestock Antibiotic Use and One Health Welfare

One Health frameworks recognize that antibiotic resistance generated in animal agriculture threatens human and animal welfare alike through treatment failures.

Key Facts

WHO classifies certain antibiotics as critically important for human medicine and restricts veterinary use
Prophylactic antibiotic use in livestock generates resistance in bacteria shared between animals and humans
Colistin resistance transmitted from livestock to humans has been documented in multiple countries
Reducing antibiotic dependency requires addressing the welfare conditions that create disease pressure
Denmark reduced livestock antibiotic use by over 50% without productivity losses through management improvements

Welfare Considerations

One Health frameworks make explicit that animal welfare and human welfare are inseparably linked through shared microbial environments. Livestock crowding conditions that necessitate antibiotic prophylaxis generate resistant bacteria that reduce treatment options for both humans and animals in the future. Improving animal welfare conditions simultaneously improves antibiotic stewardship — a rare case where welfare reform creates clear human health co-benefits.

What You Can Do

Support policies restricting prophylactic antibiotic use in livestock globally
Choose animal products from producers certified for antibiotic-responsible use
Advocate for One Health approaches in agricultural policy that link animal welfare and antibiotic use
Reduce animal product consumption from intensive systems reliant on prophylactic antibiotics
Learn about the One Health framework connecting animal welfare to human health outcomes