Scientists and health experts have raised concerns about increasing antibiotic use in farming, warning that it contributes to antimicrobial resistance and poses risks to human and animal health.
The experts at the One Health event held in Nicosia, Cyprus, have highlighted the overuse of antibiotics on food-producing animals as one of the reasons behind the increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The event explored the connections between the use of antibiotics in farming, environmental pollution, and transmission of AMR through food and water supplies. Experts noted that the issue of AMR is not confined to animal health any longer and has developed into a major public health problem.
According to data presented at the event, sales of antibiotics for farm animals in the European Union reduced by 51% between 2011 and 2022. But sales increased again in 2023 and 2024. Cyprus, Spain, and Poland were among the countries found to be using large amounts of antibiotics in their agricultural sectors. While in Cyprus, 85% of all antibiotics are prescribed for livestock, the same figure for the European Union is 62%.
Researchers noted that the repeated application of antibiotics in livestock production leads to the emergence of resistant bacteria. The World Health Organization has already named antibiotic overuse in the food-producing sector as one of the main factors of AMR worldwide.
The studies presented at the event showed that the use of antibiotics in livestock, aquaculture, and agriculture could contribute to the spread of resistance through contaminated animal waste, soil, and farm run-off into water sources.
Several nations have placed regulations on antibiotic usage in agriculture within the past twenty years. The European Union placed a ban on the use of antibiotics for growth promotion in livestock in 2006 and went on to place regulations on their use for preventative purposes.
According to public health specialists, antimicrobial resistance may lead to higher healthcare costs and decrease the effectiveness of treatments for common diseases in cases where the misuse of antibiotics occurs.
Event participants stated that the reduction of unnecessary antibiotic use, improvement of animal welfare standards, and regulation of the monitoring system would be crucial in preventing antimicrobial resistance.
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