Antibiotic use in animals is not inherently good or bad. How those antibiotics are used makes all the difference. Being ill isn’t pleasant. In animals, using antibiotics responsibly to treat a specific illness in a specific individual makes good ethical and financial sense for farmers. But when antibiotics are used routinely to prevent disease or to promote faster growth, we create the opportunity for the development of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Superbugs and untreatable infections (both outcomes of AMR) are a significant threat to the health of livestock and humans alike. Farmers can reduce the need for antibiotic use by changing how they farm:

• paying close attention to individual animals,

• not grouping too many animals in a space (reducing transmission opportunities, social stress and animal waste as a place for pathogen multiplication),

• by having herds that have animals of mixed ages (because having older animals has a pathogen dilution effect) and

• by selecting animals who are healthy and the right breed for the environment (rather than focusing solely on growth and production.)

What can you do now? Don’t assume that antibiotic free is the right answer. Even if the systems have changed, sick animals need to be treated. But choosing food certified by labels that are consistent with a reduced need for antibiotics, such as ‘organic’, is a good place to start. And you can create systemic change by purchasing food from farmers who have already made these changes. The more we ask for change the more likely it is to happen.