How Prevention Can Reduce the Need for Antibiotics

The use of antimicrobials in agriculture and food production has significantly contributed to improved animal welfare and safer production systems. These medicines are the only way to treat bacterial diseases and remain a critical piece of global agri-food systems.

However, overuse and misuse of these critical tools can lead to the development of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which not only threatens human health but also undermines the long-term viability of agricultural production. This global health crisis, if left unaddressed, could diminish decades of progress in healthcare and agriculture.

Ensuring these medicines remain effective in the decades to come requires reducing the need to use antimicrobials through better disease prevention. This is the only way to reduce use in a way that respects animal welfare, and it is why FAO launched the Pathways to Reduce the Need for Antimicrobials on Farms for Sustainable Agrifood Systems Transformation (RENOFARM) programme.

A new report, How Prevention Can Reduce the Need for Antibiotics, outlines the tools and practices that can reduce the need for antimicrobials such as vaccination, biosecurity, genetics, digital technologies and more. FAO’s RENOFARM Team and AMR Working Group supported development of the report.

Case studies within the report explain how prevention tools were able to:

• Reduce antimicrobial use by 99.8% in Scottish salmon through new vaccines.
• Increase farm income while reducing antibiotic use in poultry through E. coli vaccination.
• Improve natural immunity against bacterial disease through phytogenic feed additives.
• Reduce antibiotic use by 44% while producing 35% more milk in dairy cows through better genetics, and more.

Furthermore, the report profiles several projects that have helped implement better prevention practices across developed and emerging markets. For instance, vaccinating 37 million day-old chicks at hatcheries in West, East and Southern Africa and developing ‘Responsible Use Coalitions’ across Europe, UK and Brazil.

The diversity of tools and projects demonstrates how disease prevention can take many forms depending upon market conditions and needs. This means that no matter the region or country, all producers can find pathways to reduce the need for antimicrobials and protect against resistance development. How Prevention Can Reduce the Need for Antibiotics will be an important piece of the RENOFARM project in the years ahead.

© FAO / Jorge Pinto Ferreira