About www.farmantibiotics.org

This website is about antibiotics & UK farming, providing news, facts, statistics, science and  links to industry and government reports.

Antibiotic resistance globally

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – and more particularly, antibiotic resistance – is one of the greatest threats to human health globally. Experts predict that without policies in place to reduce antimicrobial use, resistance could be responsible for 10 million deaths each year globally by 2050.

In the UK, AMR has been placed on the Government’s national risk register alongside terrorism and pandemic ‘flu. As part of a ‘One Health’ strategy for tackling AMR in people, animals and the environment, the medical and veterinary professions have been tasked with reducing unnecessary and inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics.

Antibiotic resistance has the potential to affect anyone and apportioning blame achieves little in terms of progress. In order to save our antibiotics, it is time to work together. We all need to take action in promoting responsible use of antibiotics in UK farming, as well as across human medicine. This website provides support and information towards achieving this.

Antibiotics & UK farming

The www.farmantibiotics.org website has been set up by RUMA to ensure that correct factual information can easily be accessed by all  who want to know more about this issue.

For the media and interested members of the public, there are links to government reports and progress updates showing how UK vets and farmers are responding to the call for better stewardship of antibiotics to treat and prevent disease in farm animals – as an industry in the UK and by each livestock sector.

It also contains best practice case studies and inspiration for farmers who want to work with their vets to ensure they are using antibiotics responsibly.

All information contained on the website is fact-checked where possible by using government or accredited sources, or scientific references. Members of RUMA’s Independent Scientific Group also review and respond to new FAQs. If any information contained on the site is believed to be incorrect or misrepresentative, please contact us.

Founded in 1997, RUMA is the independent agricultural and food industry alliance which promotes responsible use of medicines in farm animals. It promotes best practice technical guidelines for medicine use and evidence-based leadership in related issues. This includes the work of the scientific, agricultural and food production communities in reducing, refining and replacing antibiotics in farming in the UK. It aims to inspire change in farmers and vets and among various communities within agriculture, and help inform interested members of the public.

Do we need antibiotics in farming?

This short film explains that while responsible use of antibiotics is vital, retaining access to antibiotics to treat disease in farm animals is also essential to safeguard animal health & welfare as well as food safety…