Using antibiotics in farming responsibly

Image © Jesus Keller/Shutterstock

Farming methods have changed in the last century. In the past, harvesting crops and milking cows were mostly done without the use of farm machinery. In many ways, farms looked very different to farms today.

Advances in medical technology have changed farming too. In recent years, industrial farming has seen an increase in the use of antibiotics on farm animals. An estimated 66 per cent of antibiotics are not used on people or sick animals, but often on healthy livestock, which means that farm animals can be kept in overcrowded conditions, where disease spreads easily. [1,2]

The widespread overuse of antibiotics in farming has knock-on effects — it contributes to antimicrobial resistance, not just in animals but also in people. Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines.

This means that, as antibiotics enter the food chain, antimicrobial resistance is increasing in both animals and humans. As a result, antibiotics, which should be a crucial line of defense in the fight against bacterial-borne diseases, are no longer effective. In fact, resistance to antibiotics has led to at least one million deaths each year since 1990. [3]

Changes in agricultural practices are key to reducing antibiotic resistance. According to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), agricultural practices that reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance on farms are needed, as animals are more susceptible to diseases when they live in stressful environments or when the hygiene conditions are poor. WOAH recommends following good animal management practices that focus on disease prevention.

In addition, using antimicrobials responsibly is essential. Andrea Turner, a veterinarian based in Bristol, supports the idea of decreasing antibiotic use in farming. “Just making sure that we can reduce prevalence of diseases in the first place on our farms has really helped to reduce the amount of antibiotics that our farmers even need to be using,” she says.

In 2018, out of concern for health, the European Parliament and Council adopted a new regulation on veterinary medicinal products: Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Parliament and of the Council. This new regulation aims to slow down the spread of antimicrobial resistance from animals to humans by reducing antibiotic usage in animal farming. This kind of legislation is key to protecting the effectiveness of antibiotics, as it can help create a new framework for their use in farming.

This is why the Antimicrobial Initiative works with not-for-profit organisations in the EU to help fully implement the regulation at Member State and Commission levels.

“The implementation of this regulation has the potential to decrease antimicrobial resistance in humans and animals in Europe, ensure the enduring effectiveness of antibiotics, and improve the welfare of farm animals,” says Megan Waters, strategic advisor for the Antimicrobial Initative.

Oak supports Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and the Antimicrobial Initiative through our Special Interest Programme, which provides the space and flexibility to support a diverse range of partners around the world, reflecting the interest of Oak’s Trustees. Check out the video below, made by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the importance of using antibiotics responsibly in farming:

References:

1: World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). ‘Antimicrobial Resistance.’ https://www.woah.org/en/what-we-do/global-initiatives/antimicrobial-resistance/ [accessed: 6 February 2025].
2: Environmental Working Group (EWG), Life-Saving Antibiotics in Jeopardy from Growing Use in Factory-Farmed Animals (EWG, 2024) https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2024/11/life-saving-antibiotics-jeopardy-growing-use-factory-farmed-animals, [accessed 29 January 2025].
3: University of Oxford, Antibiotic Resistance Has Claimed at Least One Million Lives Each Year Since 1990 (University of Oxford, 2024) https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-09-17-antibiotic-resistance-has-claimed-least-one-million-lives-each-year-1990, [accessed 29 January 2025].