Agricultural Antibiotic Use

Agricultural producers reclassified antibiotic administration from growth promotion to disease prevention without changing the actual practice, exploiting a loophole in the FDA rule. Despite growing consumer demand for antibiotic-free animal products, global antibiotic sales for animal feed increased 25% between 2009 and 2014. The 2017 FDA rule prohibiting antibiotic use in livestock for growth promotion has produced no measurable reduction in antibiotic use. Humans consuming animals raised on antibiotics creates a secondary exposure pathway that accelerates resistance development. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria that evolve in livestock enter the environment, water supply, and food chain. Consuming non-organic commercial meat introduces antibiotic residues that damage gut microbial populations through the same mechanism as a prescribed antibiotic course. The majority of antibiotics sold globally are used in animal feed to accelerate livestock growth and prevent disease in overcrowded farming conditions. 80% of all antibiotics sold worldwide are used in animals, primarily added to animal feed. Eighty percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States are sold for commercial agricu…