Antimicrobial usage within agriculture is fast changing – for the better

There is now ample evidence to show that livestock farmers across the UK and Ireland are significantly reducing the amount of antimicrobials that they administer to animals.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Acting on the basis of proactive herd/flock health programmes is now the norm. It is a management approach that is delivering both significantly decreased levels of disease and improved animal performance.

This is also good news for the consumers as tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a key public health priority.

The relationship between farmer and vet is key to the behaviour changes needed to reduce the use of antimicrobials in agriculture, new research has confirmed.

Pig leaning over the railing of his cotPig leaning over the railing of his cot
Pig leaning over the railing of his cot

The work, which was funded by ‘safefood’, surveyed more than 400 farmers and veterinarians on the island of Ireland.

The role of safefood is to promote awareness and knowledge of food safety and nutrition on the island of Ireland

The aforementioned research project took place over a two-year period. Cross border in nature, it was led by a multi-disciplinary team involving Teagasc, Queen’s University Belfast and University College Dublin.

The work looked at the behaviours of farmers and veterinarians in the usage of antimicrobials as well as the barriers and facilitators to responsible use. The research also examined the factors underpinning attitudes towards antimicrobial usage and antimicrobial resistance in meat and dairy-producing animals.

Dairy cows. Picture: Cliff DonaldsonDairy cows. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
Dairy cows. Picture: Cliff Donaldson

Among farmers, almost two in three (64%) said that they had already made some changes to their antimicrobial usage and in general were positively disposed towards future changes to their usage practices.

The introduction of subsidized vaccination programmes or other financial incentives were also seen by famers as positive levers to reduce usage.

Among vets, the research identified barriers and facilitators towards more effective antimicrobial usage and how that could be practically implemented on the ground.

Discussing the impact of the research, Teagasc’s Dr Áine Regan Teagasc said: “It is challenging to change the routine way the health of animals has been managed for many years. The first step is to understand why changes are required in the face of this invisible threat, what changes are required and who needs to make them.”

She added:“Research increasingly talks of a shift in the role of veterinarians and farm advisors on farms from being reactive to proactive.

“Rather than a traditional role of responding to disease on farms, they play an active part in providing advice on best herd health management practices and with that, information on best antibiotic practices and the mantra: as little as possible, but as much as necessary.

“For this role to work successfully, they must be able to deliver information successfully and where necessary, promote behavioural changes in farmers through motivating them and facilitating collaborative decision making.”

Dr Gary Kearney, interim CEO of safefood commented:“This research project took a ground-up approach involving both farmers and vets. By understanding their shared experiences and knowledge as well as co-creating interventions with farmers and vets that could work, we’re more informed on how best to tackle the issue of antimicrobial usage in agriculture.

Professor Moira Dean, from Queen’s University added:“We underpinned our research in behaviour change theory, which enables us to assess a person’s ability, motivation, and opportunity to act and how all these factors can influence their behaviour.

“These findings fed into practice-ready, evidence-based interventions which combine the voice of both farmers and veterinarians.”

One of the behaviour-change interventions designed by the project was a specialised training programme for animal health professionals, such as vets and farm advisors.

The provision of technical animal health advice and information using specialised communication strategies can improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance, and influence motivations and confidence in ability to reduce antimicrobial use in the farming community.

As a result of this research project, additional funding has been received with pilot projects being delivered by psychologists in Animal Health Ireland and Teagasc in order to trial the interventions.

“Behaviour-change recommendations from the safefood project have been embedded into veterinary training and consults for both the Cell Check national mastitis control programme and the Pig Healthcheck programme,” continued Alison Burrell, Health Psychologist at Animal Health Ireland.

“This is a new approach for many, which has been well received. There has been a lot of interest in a new training programme funded through the AMU-farm project which is in collaboration with Teagasc and Queen’s University Belfast.

“It will deliver training to both vets and farm advisors in communication and behaviour change to support collaborative herd health consults with herdowners around tailored animal health management and prudent antibiotic use on farm.”

So what are antimicrobials?

They are treatments that can kill disease-causing microorganisms. Imprudent (overuse or misuse) antimicrobial usage is accelerating the development of resistant bacteria, with serious consequences for treatment of infections in humans.

Antimicrobial resistance poses a major public health threat, with huge social and economic costs. The European Commission’s ‘From Farm to Fork’ strategy has set a 2030 target of reducing sales of antimicrobials in agriculture and aquaculture by 50%, and this will mean significant changes for farmers and vets regarding how and when antimicrobials can be used.

Meanwhile, one of the world’s leading experts on AMR has confirmed that livestock farmers will have no option but to reduce their dependence on antibiotic usage. Moreover, these changes will be coming down the track for farmers throughout the UK in the very near future.

Professor Johanna Fink-Gremmels, from Utrecht University, made these comments while addressing a recent AHV-hosted webinar.

She continued:“This is already happening across Europe. In the Netherlands, for example, dairy farmers must practice selective dry cow management. This was made mandatory in 2019.

“Linked to this, all milk buyers in the Netherlands have made it mandatory for their dairy farmer suppliers to milk record.

According to Fink-Gremmels, the UK has signed up to legislation that will drastically reduce the levels of antibiotics and antimicrobials used within production agriculture, adding:“Brexit will not change this. AMR is a global challenge, one which the UK government fully recognises.”

Fink-Gremmels confirmed that there are no new antibiotics in the pipeline. She said:“And this will remain the case. But research carried out over recent years has delivered new insights into the way that bacteria operate.

“This work is helping to develop new science, which will be at the heart of new therapies that can be used to maximise animal health standards on farms.”

Kerry-based veterinarian Robert Flahive also spoke at the webinar. He confirmed that January of next year will see the introduction of major restrictions in the farm-use of antibiotics throughout the Republic of Ireland.

Significantly, he felt that such a development could deliver important benefits for those farmers committed to improving the health status of their herds.

He said:“The coming years will see all herds independently ranked in accordance with their antibiotic usage. I see no reason why farmers achieving very low levels of antibiotic usage should not receive a premium price for their output.”

Significantly, the tackling of AMR resistance in farm aninals is fast-becoming a success story for the United Kingdom.

The matter was crystallised in a report published jointly last week by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the UK’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).

It confirms that noteworthy success in tackling AMR in food-producing animals can be achieved if the livestock industry takes ownership of the issue. The report is the third in a series of international case studies. It highlights the UK's successful collaborative approach to antimicrobial stewardship, which has led to the country halving the sale of antibiotics for food-producing animals since 2014.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s Chief Veterinary Office, commented: “UK agriculture has undergone a transformation over the last few years, embedding the principles of responsible antimicrobial use across all sectors of livestock production through collaboration between government, vets and farmers.

“This has culminated in the UK halving its sales of antibiotics for food-producing animals since 2014.”

She added:“We are proud of the achievements detailed within this report, which represents a concerted effort from all those involved, and hope that the lessons here can inspire others to embark on their own stewardship journeys.

“The UK will continue to work alongside our global partners to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials.”

In response to the FAO report, the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance Chair, Cat McLaughlin, said:“We are happy to see recognition for the efforts of UK agriculture in uniting to tackle AMR; in particular, the unique voluntary approach which has seen the agriculture industry taking ownership and working in collaboration with government to drive positive change.

“The UK government set strong national reduction targets in its AMR strategy. It challenged the livestock industry to reduce antibiotic use by 25% between 2016 and 2020, which we surpassed.”

She added:“The report recognises a number of successes including the establishment of the RUMA Independent Scientific Group, which ensures all decisions and activities are based on science and evidence, as well as the formation of the RUMA Targets Task Force.

“This grouping has a specialist farmer and vet representing each livestock sector, to set targets and provide a forum for learning and experience to be shared across all sectors. It demonstrates the industry’s ongoing support to the responsible use of antibiotics and has put the UK ahead of most EU countries.

“The current targets up to 2024 further reinforce the ongoing commitment across all the sectors to achieve sustainable reductions.”

RUMA’s Targets Task Force group was conceived in Spring 2016 in response to Lord Jim O’Neill’s seminal AMR Review .

The report, commissioned by the UK government in 2014 to assess the global problem of increasing drug resistance, put forward a number of actions to address the issue, one of which was to develop industry-led, sector-specific targets for antibiotic stewardship in UK livestock farming.

The goal of the task force has been to respond directly to that report and recommendations, and to identify realistic, evidence-based goals for the UK agriculture industry. Benchmarks are set and owned by each of the sectors with recognition that each sector has individual challenges and that reductions should be sustainable.

McLaughlin concluded:“The RUMA Targets Task Force has shown clearly that where we have data, we can set targets and we can hit them. The UK’s overall approach has led to significant behaviour change and a shift in attitudes across the industry.

“Antibiotic stewardship is now part of everyday language, with farmers and vets working collaboratively to embed best practice for responsible use across all sectors.“The first-hand accounts that feature in the FAO report from key sector stakeholders involved in the process, highlight the approaches and steps taken which are unique to each sector, their challenges and successes, and ultimately the shared experience and knowledge they have gained along the way.”

Related topics: