In the debate over the use of antibiotics in agriculture…
““In the debate over the use of antibiotics in agriculture, a distinction is usually made between their clinical and nonclinical uses. Public health advocates don’t object to treating sick animals with antibiotics; they just don’t want to see the drugs lose their effectiveness because factory farms are feeding them to healthy animals to promote growth. But the use of antibiotics in feedlot cattle confounds this distinction. Here the drugs are plainly being used to treat sick animals, yet the animals probably wouldn’t be sick if not for the diet of grain we feed them.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Antibiotics in livestock are used for growth, blurring the line between treatment and prevention, risking resistance.
In simple terms: Farm use of antibiotics blurs treatment vs. growth purposes, risking resistance.
Key Takeaway
Limit non‑essential antibiotic use in animal feed.
Themes
public health
agriculture
antibiotic resistance
ethics
Mood
concerned
urgent
Type
policy
educational
When to use this quote
- policy making
- farm management
- consumer choices
Key Concepts
One health
drug stewardship
food systems
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance animal health with resistance risk?
- What alternatives exist to growth‑promoting antibiotics?
A Different Perspective
Antibiotic resistance can develop despite treating sick animals.