Antibiotics represent an important tool that farmers and ranchers can use judiciously to ensure that their animals are both healthy and productive. The Alliance supports the responsible use of antibiotics by producers in order to maintain the health of their animals and to continue to provide the American consumer with a high-quality source of protein. Below are articles related to antibiotic use and the care that producers provide to their livestock.

Supermoms Against Superbugs
Animal Agriculture Alliance Report - 2012
The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics to host a Supermoms Against Superbugs Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. to unite individuals across America working to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics. The two hour event attempted to blame the complicated problem of antibiotic resistance primarily on animal agriculture. (View PDF (183 KB))


Antibiotic Resistance
Government Accountability Office Report - 2011
The latest Government Accountability Office report on antibiotic resistance shows there is not sufficient data to link the antibiotic use in food animals to antibiotic resistance in humans. (View PDF (2.44 MB))

The Confusion Over Antibiotic Volumes
Ron Phillips, Animal Health Institute - 2011
AHI provides a well-researched rebuttal of some of the most common misconceptions related to antibiotic use in animal agriculture that are often promoted by activist groups. (View PDF (288 KB))

Antibiotics- Keeping Animals Healthy and Our Food Safe
Animal Health Institute - 2010
Learn about the herd and flock health management programs that farmers and ranchers follow to keep their animals healthy and about the strenuous approval process that antibiotics go through before being approved by the FDA. Farmers, veterinarians, and lawmakers agree that these medicines are an important tool that helps producers provide safe, affordable food. (View PDF (288 KB))

Pew Briefing on Alternatives to Antibiotic Use in Agriculture
March 2, 2010
The Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming held a briefing in support of the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act. Pew brought together a panel in an attempt to show the economic viability of producing meat without antibiotics. The group began the meeting by showing the second segment of the CBS Evening News report - which claimed that Denmark benefited from banning sub-therapeutic antibiotics - in entirety. Notes from the briefing are provided here. (View PDF (376 KB))

Animal Agriculture Coalition Issues Response to Biased CBS Antibiotic Report
February 15, 2010
The Animal Agriculture Coalition sent the following letter on behalf of fifteen agriculture associations to CBS President Sean McManus after a February 2010 Evening News report unfairly criticized the use of antibiotics in livestock production. The Coalition identified many areas of concern with Katie Couric's inaccurate report and stressed the need for balanced coverage of agricultural issues. (More)

An Open Letter to Katie Couric
Cattlenetwork- July 19, 2010
Chuck Jolley of Cattlenetwork responded to CBS anchor Katie Couric's misguided reporting on antibiotic use in animal agriculture. He encouraged her to discuss the necessary and judicious use of antibiotics by farmers with industry experts. (More)

Just Say No to Junk Journalism
September 2009
The Animal Health Institute responded to inaccuracies in an Ezra Klein’s Washington Post column entitled “Just Say No to Antibacterial Burgers.” The organization identified and corrected four “junk claims” from the editorial and explained that antibiotics represent one tool that farmers and ranchers use judiciously to keep their animals healthy. (View PDF (24 KB))

Press Releases

Misguided Reporting Reveals Bias
January 8, 2010
The Animal Agriculture Alliance is disappointed by the many unsubstantiated claims portrayed as fact in the widespread Associated Press article entitled Pressure Rises to Stop Antibiotics in Agriculture. Released on Dec. 29, the story was the third installment of a five-part series about antibiotic resistance in the United States. Unfortunately, the authors did not offer a balanced analysis of the complex issue, instead relying on biased sources to portray America's food producers in a negative light. (More)

AVMA Finds Pew Report Biased, Inaccurate
August 21, 2009
The American Veterinary Medical Association released a detailed statement that identifies "significant flaws and major dalliances from both science and reality" in the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production's 2008 report Putting Meat on the Table: Industrial Farm Animal Production in America. (More)

Articles

Not Medicating Animals Improves Their Welfare?
For the Record- November 2009
Debate over the perceived benefits of natural and organic food production have increased in recent years. However, the welfare implications of not medicating animals that need treatment should be considered. Meat, eggs, and milk from animals that haven't been treated with antibiotic s have not been shown to be more nutritious and researchers are now questioning whether it even improves animal welfare. (More)

Tons of Drugs Dumped Into Wastewater, Study Finds
Fox News - September 15, 2008
U.S. hospitals and long-term care facilities annually flush millions of pounds of unused pharmaceuticals down the drain, pumping contaminants into America's drinking water, according to an ongoing Associated Press investigation. (More)

Antibiotics in Livestock Help Humans
AgriTalk - July 2, 2008
Dr. Lyle Vogel of the American Veterinary Medical Association testified before Congress that a ban on antibiotic use in food animals would likely negatively affect human health. Dr. Vogel points to scientific studies that indicate withholding antibiotics from animals could have negative impacts. He indicates that the overuse of antibiotics in humans is more of a concern than use in animals and explains that the FDA approval process for a drug to be used in food animals is more stringent than for human drugs. (More, MP3)

White Papers

Statement by the Animal Agriculture Alliance Coalition on Antimicrobial Resistance
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Farmers, ranchers and veterinarians take this issue of antimicrobial resistance very seriously. Nothing is more important to us than public health, animal health and well-being and a safe food supply. If a problem existed, those most likely to be affected are those of us who work on the farm and our families.

Although most scientists agree that improper use of antibiotics in human medicine is the greatest contributing factor in the formation of resistant bacteria affecting humans, the government, animal health industry, farmers and ranchers have implemented multiple steps to ensure antibiotic use in food producing animals does not affect human health.More.
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