Participatory approach for an optimization of the use of antibiotics guaranteeing the health and welfare of pigs and poultry

The use of antibiotics has fallen by almost 50 % in the French poultry and pig industry in 15 years. However, this change has been more or less significant depending on the farm, and the introduction of antibiotic-free labels by retailors has sometimes resulted in excessive reduction in the use of antibiotics, to the detriment of animal health and welfare. To make progress in improving the use of antibiotics, a participatory approach was carried out, bringing together representatives of veterinarians, the pig and poultry industry, technical institutes, the Ministry of Agriculture and researchers. The paper presents the major stages of the process and their results, concerning the long-term vision shared by the group concerning the use of antibiotics on farms, and the analysis of the obstacles to be lifted in order to move towards the shared objective. The results show, among other things, the importance of standardizing and disseminating systems for monitoring, at the farm level, animal health and welfare, use of antibiotics and level of resistance to antibiotics, in order to allow farmers and veterinarians to precisely monitor the use of antibiotics. Other fields of action concern the need for improved communication and consumer information on the issue of animal health, welfare and the proper use of antibiotics, and the issue of the economic competitiveness of the sector and the economic viability of farms that want to invest in prevention.