Calling on the USDA to Stop Antibiotic Overuse

By Madeleine Kleven, Safe and Healthy Food Program Associate

Antibiotic resistance is a leading cause of death worldwide and is rapidly spreading throughout the world. In the United States nearly 3 million Americans get sick with an antibiotic resistant infection, and 160,000 people die every year. As antibiotics continue to be overused, especially in animal agriculture and industrial farming, resistant bacterial strains continue to develop and threaten the lives of millions. It is time the FDA, the USDA and other government agencies take this health threat seriously, and set national targets for reducing the use of antibiotics in agriculture. Food Animal Concerns Trust is calling for a 50% reduction in the use of antibiotics in food animals by 2025 from 2010 levels of use, the second year for which FDA began reporting sales as a proxy for antibiotic use.  

This week organizations within Keep Antibiotics Working, including FACT, called on the USDA to support this target as part of the USDA’s national strategy to combat antibiotic resistance. We also called on the USDA to set more strict guidelines for the use of antibiotics, including eliminating preventive use. Currently antibiotics may be given to healthy animals preventatively, in order to compensate for low welfare standards that promote the spread of disease. The World Health Organization recommends putting a stop to this practice and the U.S should follow that recommendation.  

Lastly, we called on the USDA to prioritize research that focuses on ways to reduce antibiotic use in farming. Improved management practices, later weaning and changes to diet are effective means to maintain animal health and reduce both the need for antibiotics and associated resistant infections. These higher welfare practices should be emphasized in our farming system, because they lead to not only healthier animals and healthier food, but healthier people and a healthier environment.  

Check out our comments to USDA here and be sure to watch our latest video below!