Future Farming: Balancing Biosecurity and Antimicrobial Use
"A look into how livestock production is adapting to antimicrobial resistance and the critical role of biosecurity."
As the global population continues to expand, so does the demand for food, especially animal protein. Meeting this demand efficiently requires innovative technologies and practices within agriculture. However, diseases constantly threaten the efficiency of livestock production, making it crucial to find effective control methods.
Antimicrobials have been a key tool in managing bacterial diseases in livestock. In the United States, they are used not only to treat specific illnesses but also as feed additives to prevent disease and promote growth. This practice, however, has raised concerns about antimicrobial resistance, leading to proposals to curtail or eliminate their use as feed additives.
This article examines the current policies on antimicrobial use, particularly in comparison to the European Union, and discusses the future of antimicrobial use in U.S. livestock production. We'll also explore the increasing importance of biosecurity programs and the role of Cooperative Extension Services in promoting effective biosecurity and informing policy decisions.
AMR Detection: Established Methods and Limits
Current antimicrobial resistance (AMR) detection methods—particularly culture-based approaches—have limitations in sensitivity, turnaround time, and their ability to detect all potential resistance genes. A 2024 review examines existing detection techniques and their drawbacks, while a 2025 review considers the advantages and disadvantages of traditional and emerging approaches. The latter describes emerging technologies as offering increased sensitivity, reduced turnaround times, and the ability to identify genetic resistance mechanisms. In antimicrobial discovery, in vitro assays are also used to assess candidate compounds’ effectiveness and mechanisms of action.
The Push for Biosecurity: Why It Matters
The use of antimicrobials in livestock production has become a contentious issue, with many advocating for stricter regulations. Concerns over antimicrobial resistance have driven much of the debate, highlighting the potential risks to both animal and human health. The European Union has already taken steps to ban antimicrobials for growth promotion, and similar policies are being considered in the United States.
- Disease Prevention: Preventing animal diseases is crucial for fighting hunger and malnutrition.
- EU Experience: Eliminating antimicrobial feed additives in the EU led to health issues and decreased efficiency.
- Biosecurity Measures: Heightened biosecurity is essential to prevent infectious diseases.
Biosecurity Reporting in Farm Reviews
Two 2025 scoping reviews examine how biosecurity is reported in livestock settings. One defines its scope as peer-reviewed primary studies published from 2000 to 2022 on farm-level biosecurity practices at small, hobby, or backyard livestock and poultry farms in developed countries. The dairy calf production review reports that only 23% of the studies it examined explicitly identified practices as biosecurity measures, highlighting variability in reporting. A 2026 review of avian tuberculosis says control strategies emphasize prevention, environmental management, biosecurity, and poultry population management; it notes antibiotics are rarely effective and may lead to drug residues and bacterial resistance.
AMR and the Limits of Antibiotic Treatment
A 2024 review describes AMR as a critical global health issue driven by antibiotic misuse and overuse across sectors, with multidrug-resistant pathogens challenging healthcare systems. Another review argues that antibiotic resistance appears inevitable and points to a continuing lack of pharmaceutical-industry investment in new antibiotic research. Antibiotic failure can also arise beyond resistance: a review discusses limited therapy availability and the possibility that new antibiotics may prove ineffective. It calls for novel anti-infectives or host-directed therapies that address antibiotic failure.
Farm Biosecurity and Antimicrobial Use
A 2020 study recruited 30 pig farms and 30 poultry farms in the Belgian–Dutch border region, selecting farms with country-specific high antimicrobial use. The study framed this comparison as a way to examine drivers of antimicrobial resistance in different settings and countries. A 2023 editorial says inappropriate antimicrobial use in clinical and agricultural settings creates conditions for the evolution, emergence, and dissemination of AMR, and that overreliance creates selection pressure. Alternatives discussed in a separate review—vaccines, virus-like particles, bacteriophage therapy, and bacteriocins—are still in development and have limitations.
Extension's Role: Educating for the Future
Cooperative Extension Services play a vital role in promoting effective biosecurity practices. They provide education and resources to livestock producers, helping them implement best practices for disease prevention and control. Additionally, Extension Services can serve as a bridge between the agricultural community and the public, providing accurate information and fostering informed discussions about food animal production.
Projections and Agricultural Drivers
The GBD 2021 Antimicrobial Resistance Collaborators’ systematic analysis presents AMR burden estimates across 204 countries and territories, drawing on hospital discharge records, microbiology data, and mortality surveillance to model historical trends and future patterns. A 2026 Nature Outlook identifies widespread agricultural use of antimicrobial agents as a major AMR driver that is less amenable to individual action. A separate review highlights trends including increasing resistance among bacterial sepsis, global antibiotic consumption patterns, and rising mortality linked to drug-resistant infections.
AMR as a Global Health Challenge
A 2026 review describes AMR as a major global health challenge that compromises antimicrobial therapy and accelerates multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. It examines bacterial resistance mechanisms, global epidemiology, and emerging therapeutic strategies, including their clinical applicability and evidence. A 2024 review likewise characterizes AMR as a critical global health issue driven by antibiotic misuse and overuse in various sectors, which contributes to the emergence of resistant microorganisms.
To meet the food security demands of a growing global population, the agricultural industry must continue to innovate and adopt new technologies. However, it's equally important to communicate the benefits and safety of these technologies to the public. Extension Services can help bridge this gap, ensuring that consumers and policymakers have the information they need to make informed decisions.
By focusing on education, research, and community engagement, Cooperative Extension Services can contribute to a more sustainable and secure food system. This includes promoting responsible antimicrobial use, enhancing biosecurity measures, and fostering a greater understanding of modern livestock production practices among the public.