The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has recently indicated that global antibiotic use in livestock

Use of Antibiotics in Livestock

Antibiotics serve multiple purposes in livestock, including the treatment of infections, promotion of growth, and prevention of diseases. However, the excessive and improper use of these medications in animal agriculture has contributed to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria, which poses significant threats to both animal and human health. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can complicate the treatment of common infections, leading to increased healthcare expenses and higher mortality rates. The World Health Organization has referred to this issue as a "silent pandemic," highlighting the serious risk of worsening antimicrobial resistance as bacteria adapt to resist antibiotic therapies. Currently, drug-resistant infections are responsible for over 1.2 million deaths worldwide each year. Projections indicate that antibiotic consumption in livestock will increase from 110,777 tons in 2019 to 143,481 tons by 2040, marking a 29.5% rise. The primary regions contributing to this increase include:

- Asia and the Pacific Region: 64.6%

- South America: 19%

- Africa: 5.7%

- North America: 5.5%

- Europe: 5.2%

Role of Antibiotics in Livestock

Therapeutic Use: Antibiotics are administered to treat bacterial infections in animals, thereby ensuring their health and productivity.

Preventive Use: The prophylactic use of antibiotics helps avert diseases in healthy animals, especially within intensive farming systems.

Growth Promotion: In certain areas, antibiotics are utilized to boost growth rates and improve feed efficiency, although this practice is increasingly being discouraged on a global scale.

Key Drivers Behind the Surge

Intensive Farming Systems: Large-scale industrial farms frequently depend on antibiotics to sustain animal health in densely populated and high-stress environments.

Regulatory Gaps: Numerous countries lack stringent regulations regarding antibiotic use in animals or fail to enforce existing guidelines effectively.

Overuse of Antibiotics as Growth Promoters: The ability of antibiotics to enhance growth and ensure survival in suboptimal conditions makes them economically appealing in intensive farming systems.

Global Trade and Movement: The international trade of livestock, meat products, and feed can facilitate the spread of resistant strains across borders.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes can disseminate through mobile genetic elements, which further complicates the challenge of managing antibiotic resistance.

Policies and Commitments

UN General Assembly AMR Declaration (2024): Governments across the globe have committed to decreasing antimicrobial usage in agrifood systems by 30–50% by the year 2030. The UNGA acknowledges antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a significant threat to human health, food security, economic growth, and global stability.

RENOFARM Initiative: Launched by the FAO, this initiative offers policy guidance and technical support to assist nations in reducing antibiotic consumption.

One Health Approach: This strategy combines human, animal, and environmental health to tackle the AMR issue, as highlighted by the FAO, WHO, and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Enhancing Livestock Productivity: By improving animal health, management practices, and production efficiency, antibiotic use could potentially be reduced by as much as 57%. Investments in vaccination programs, biosecurity protocols, and better animal nutrition can help minimize the reliance on antibiotics.

India’s National Action Plan on AMR: This plan is designed to decrease antibiotic reliance in the agricultural sector.

Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines (SVTG): Introduced by the Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry, these guidelines aim to regulate antibiotic use in livestock and poultry while integrating Ayurvedic and ethnoveterinary methods.