EIP-AGRI Brochure on Reducing antibiotics in pig farming

The widespread use of antibiotics (also known as antibacterials) in human and animal medicine increases the level of resistant bacteria. This makes it more difficult to treat diseases in an efficient way. The guiding principle for antibiotic use in pig farming is still to “use antibiotics as little as possible, but as often as necessary”. Everyone who is involved in the pig industry – from ‘farm to fork’ – can help to achieve this goal, by making sustainable improvements in pig health and welfare. Innovative technological solutions and research initiatives can be successful if they reach out to the field and incude experts from different disciplines and backgrounds. It is key to motivate stakeholders such as farmers, advisers and veterinarians to adopt better biosecurity, management and other practices that help reduce the need for antibiotic treatments. One way to do this is by showing that applying new measures can be economically beneficial. Providing information and improving the education of farmers and veterinarians can help to change attitudes and create change in the long run. Polish translation courtesy of the Agricultural Advisory Centre in Brwinów; Portuguese translation courtesy of Direção-Geral de Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural (DGADR), Rede Rural Nacional (RRN)