We’ve seen a 50% reduction in the antibiotics our customers use via our products. Out of the total antibiotic usage, the use of antibiotics deemed critically important for human health has even declined by more than 70%, so I think that’s nice progress. Our first focus was to reduce critically important antibiotics, and then reduce the use of antibiotic growth promoters and antibiotics used for preventative purposes.

The biggest results have been seen in several the campaign’s initial areas of focus: Spain, Mexico, and Brazil. Our customers in those countries have drastically reduced antibiotic use. Even in Iberia, where they had already made strong progress when the campaign launched, they significantly reduced their antibiotic use. At this moment, they have reached the bottom when it comes to antibiotic reduction, without affecting animal welfare. So, if you’re almost at zero that’s fine for us, as we know you cannot reach zero. But, in other countries we continue reducing use.

In several countries in the Middle East, we’re also seeing better performance and economics by reducing antibiotics. By implementing an integrated feed-farm-health approach, producers notice a clear improvement in technical performance. Usually, the investment in the program is fully compensated by improvement in the feed conversion ratio alone. However, producers have also seen a clear, positive economic benefit by curbing antibiotic use. Even though antibiotics are cheap in many parts of the Middle East, if a producer uses a lot of them, reducing antibiotics helps improve economics. On top of that, this often allows them to deliver their products at market segments with higher margins including, for export, premium retailers, etc.

A World Health Organization report noted that in one-third of the countries that don’t use AGPs anymore there is no legislation banning their use.

Also, we see in the Middle East that AGP use has declined in countries where there is no legislation banning AGP use. Producers in this region had problems with performance and Salmonella, for the producers who want to export. When you treat with antibiotics, you are also increasing the resistance challenge, including the resistance of Salmonella – one of the bacteria with high resistance to antibiotics. If you kill all the others and Salmonella is resistant, then the problem becomes bigger.

I often hear the question, ‘So the U.S. is reintroducing all antibiotics?’ but I say, ‘No, it’s mainly about ionophore coccidiostats in broilers, considered in the U.S. to be antibiotics in contrast to other countries in the world, including the EU.

In the U.S., antibiotics are allowed for use only under veterinary prescription for animals that are sick or are at risk of becoming sick, and never for use as a growth promotor. Depending on the broiler market segment the antibiotic use can be more restricted:

• ‘No Antibiotics Ever’ (NAE), strategy – without the use of any antibiotic, even not ionophore anticoccidials.
• ‘No Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine’ (NAIHM) strategy – where only a limited number of antibiotics, not important to human medicine as approved by FDA (AS Food and Drug Administration), are allowed.

So, people have the impression that the U.S. is going the complete opposite direction, which is not correct. We have to correct that misperception.

Misunderstanding is a big problem. That’s why the theme of World AMR Awareness Week, 'Educate. Advocate. Act now’ is so relevant. It’s really important to understand why AGPs are used. Given the name ‘antibiotic growth promoter,’ one would think AGPs are only used to promote growth. But, in a lot of cases these antibiotics are used to control Salmonella or address specific health challenges. The first step to define a solution to reduce ‘AGPs’ is knowing exactly why these are used. 

If AGPs are indeed used to promote growth, often solutions, like specific phytogenics with anti-inflammatory effects can help maintain or even improve performance without the use of AGPs.

Of course, if the ‘antibiotic growth promoters’ are used to control Salmonella, a practice often used in Latin America, then we need a completely different solution that includes a comprehensive Salmonella control program, including detailed monitoring throughout the value chain.

A third reason companies use AGPs is to address certain health challenges or prevent such health challenges. In that case, other solutions are needed. You don’t need something that’s only reducing inflammation and promoting growth; you need something that is opposing the health challenge.

Reducing antibiotic use is always important to reduce the risk for resistance. Because even if an antibiotic is used 100% in the correct way - correct dose, small spectrum - bacteria are opportunistic organisms and we’re always selecting for resistance, small to large. Any effort to curb antibiotic use in the production system helps reduce the risk for resistance, maintaining the efficacy of the antibiotics and improving performance in the future – especially in regions where livestock production is growing.