As mentioned in our previous article on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), antimicrobials are typically used in the livestock production to treat sick animals, to prevent future disease from spreading amongst livestock, and to stimulate growth, usually via the feed and water provided to the animals.

Since any and all uses of antimicrobials contribute towards the development of AMR, it is important that their use is limited to only when it is medically necessary. Unfortunately, statistics reveal a less-than-stellar practice at work—it is estimated that global antimicrobial consumption by food animals in 2013 was 131,109 tonnes (Van Boeckel et al., 2017), a whopping increase of 107% from the conservatively estimated 63,151 tonnes in 2010; Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP) projections further reveal a potential increase in consumption by more than half by 2030.

An article by Van Boeckel et al. (2015), which was cited over 1,200 times according to Google Scholar, reported that in 2010, the countries recording the biggest shares of global antimicrobial consumption by livestock were China (23%), the United States (13%), Brazil (9%), India (3%), and Germany (3%); by 2030, this ranking is expected to change to China (30%), the United States (10%), Brazil (8%), India (4%), and Mexico (2%). The graph below showcases further rankings of countries by largest increase and largest relative increase in antimicrobial consumption between 2010 and 2030.

(It is interesting to note here that livestock in China and Brazil, despite being the top consumers of antimicrobials, did not count amongst the countries with the most rapid projected increase in consumption. Van Boeckel et al. (2015) suggest that this implies that the two nations have already shifted toward intensified livestock production systems, where antimicrobials are regularly used to maintain the health and productivity of the animals.)

The increase in antimicrobial consumption has been attributed towards the growing global demand for meat (FAO, 2017; Van Boeckel et al., 2017; Gelband et al., 2015). This trend is clearly observed in countries within the Asian region, where regulations on antimicrobial use are still lax or in its infancy (Lo et al., 2019). Antimicrobial consumption by livestock in Asia alone is estimated to be 51,851 tonnes by 2030, with chicken and pigs expected to consume an increase of 129% and 125% of antimicrobial respectively by 2030 (Van Boeckel et al., 2015).

Consumers, particularly those in higher-income nations, however, are growing increasingly, albeit slowly, becoming aware of AMR and its adverse effects on human health. The total sales of antibiotic-free chicken in the United States, for example, increased by 34% in 2012 with a Consumer Reports survey in the same year reporting that more than 60% of respondents are willing to pay an extra five cents per pound for antibiotic-free meat.

Food producers are still slow on the uptake, unfortunately. In 2019, it was found that most fast-food chains in the US, including big names such as Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza, and Chilli’s, still do not have policies or plans in place to reduce antibiotic use in their beef supply. This is worrying, especially since factory farming has been linked to the emergence of antibiotic resistant superbugs, which constitutes a serious threat to human health. In response, famed primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall has warned that there is not much time left to “change our ways… [and] drastically change our diets and move to plant-rich foods”.

This is the second article of a multi-part series on the topic of antimicrobial use in the agri-food sector by Khor Reports. Read the first post here: Antimicrobial Resistance: Part #1 - The General Gist.