Jennifer Su
Along with the exponential growth of the human population in the last century comes the rapid rise in demand for food: tasty, affordable, and fast-produced food. With the limited amount of time and resources available, humans sought for a way to improve the efficiency of agriculture, specifically a way to produce more food in less time and space. Antibiotics seemed like the perfect solution: a drug that can kill pathogens, drastically improving the survival rate of crops and animals. However, if antibiotics are so amazing, why have organic foods grown in popularity in the recent decades? What are the repercussions for administering antibiotics in livestock.
Soon after the accidental discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, antibiotics rose in popularity in both the medical and agricultural industry [1]. Antibiotics have since saved millions of lives, not just from illnesses and diseases, but also from famish. They are administered to livestock as growth factors and therapeutics, helping to prevent the spread of diseases and minimizing the effects of stressful conditions [2]. Antibiotics can help limit the overgrowth of bacteria in animal intestines, which is the typical result of grain-based diets. This gives farmers better control over the animals’ microbiota, eliminating and promoting specific bacteria to help them gain weight more efficiently [3]. Altogether, livestocks require less space, time, and feed to grow into meatier, healthier animals better fit for human consumption. Healthier animals decrease the risk of foodborne illnesses, making them arguably safer for us to eat. Since antibiotics drastically decrease the resources required to raise livestock, it has significantly reduced the cost of food, making it more affordable for everyone. Lowering prices and increasing production helps fill the demand for protein in our ever-growing population. For these reasons, roughly 70% of all antibiotics annually produced in the United States are utilized to fatten up livestock, amounting to 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics each year [4].
Unfortunately, the use of antibiotics does not come without consequences. As antibiotic resistance becomes a dire issue in modern society, researchers are actively studying the relation between the use of antimicrobial drugs in animals and the rise of antimicrobial resistance in humans. In one study completed in Germany, nasal swabs were taken from farmers and their colonized pigs to test for the presence of MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [5]. It was previously estimated that MRSA asymptomatically colonized the animals in roughly half of industrial pig farms. However, this study revealed that of the 57 farms that were surveyed, 47 of the farms had pigs infected with MRSA. Of the 113 humans that worked in these farms, 97 of them had MRSA in their nasal pathways, amounting to an 86% animal to human transmission rate. Before the development of industrial farming and antibiotic treatments, Staphylococcus aureus was only found in less than 1% of pigs [6]. In another study, researchers took fecal samples from two healthy humans to analyze the antibiotic resistance profiles in their microflora [7]. They found that the gut microbiome of both individuals were resistant against 11 of 13 antibiotic drugs tested. The only two drugs that the two individuals didn’t have resistance for, chloramphenicol and minocycline, were the only two drugs that weren’t administered to livestock. Both these studies indicate that antibiotic resistance is being actively transferred from animals to humans. Even trace amounts of antimicrobial drugs used on livestock can create selective pressure for antimicrobial resistance genes, which can then rapidly spread into human microbiomes.
As the dangers of the widespread use of antibiotics come to light, some people are turning to organic farms. Organically grown animals are not administered any antibiotics, so they require significantly more space, feed, and time to grow [8]. Given the higher expense of raising organic crops and animals, organic foods tend to cost more than non-organic foods, often reaching double the price [9]. While some people associate organic foods with being “healthier,” studies have shown that there are no nutritional differences between organic and non-organic foods [10]. Just like industrial farming, organic farming has its pros and cons. For example, organic beef leaves a greater carbon footprint compared to industrial beef, while organic crops are more environmentally sustainable than industrial crops [11,12]. Therefore, it is important to stay informed, since the cost-benefit is ultimately left up to you, the consumer, to weigh.
References
1. https://microbiologysociety.org/members-outreach-resources/outreach-resources/antibiotics-unear thed/antibiotics-and-antibiotic-resistance/the-history-of-antibiotics.html
2. Antibiotic Activity of Growth-Factor Analogues*. Nature 162, 356–359 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/162356a0
3. Hays, Virgil W. “Benefits and Risks of Antibiotics Use in Agriculture.” Agricultural Uses of Antibiotics, 1986, pp. 74–87., doi:10.1021/bk-1986-0320.ch007.
4. Hogging It: Estimates of Antimicrobial Abuse in Livestock,” by Margaret Mellon, Charles Benbrook, and Karen Lutz Benbrook, Union of Concerned Scientists, January 2001
5. Cuny, Christiane et al. “Livestock-Associated MRSA: The Impact on Humans.” Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 4,4 521-43. 6 Nov. 2015, doi:10.3390/antibiotics4040521
6. Pulverer and Entel, Abl.Bakt.Orig.I, 1967;202:344-51
7. Sommer, Morten O A et al. “Functional characterization of the antibiotic resistance reservoir in the human microflora.” Science (New York, N.Y.) vol. 325,5944 (2009): 1128-1131. doi:10.1126/science.1176950
8. https://www.sare.org/publications/transitioning-to-organic-production/what-is-organic-farming/
9. https://www.mofga.org/resources/local-food/price-differences-organic-versus-non-organic-store versus-farmers-market/
10. Rosen, Joseph. (2010). A Review of the Nutrition Claims Made by Proponents of Organic Food. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 9. 270 - 277. 10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00108.x.
11. Buratti, C et al. “Carbon footprint of conventional and organic beef production systems: An Italian case study.” The Science of the total environment vol. 576 (2017): 129-137. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.075
12. Birkhofer, Klaus & Smith, Henrik & Rundlöf, Maj. (2016). Environmental Impacts of Organic Farming. 10.1002/9780470015902.a0026341.
Soon after the accidental discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, antibiotics rose in popularity in both the medical and agricultural industry [1]. Antibiotics have since saved millions of lives, not just from illnesses and diseases, but also from famish. They are administered to livestock as growth factors and therapeutics, helping to prevent the spread of diseases and minimizing the effects of stressful conditions [2]. Antibiotics can help limit the overgrowth of bacteria in animal intestines, which is the typical result of grain-based diets. This gives farmers better control over the animals’ microbiota, eliminating and promoting specific bacteria to help them gain weight more efficiently [3]. Altogether, livestocks require less space, time, and feed to grow into meatier, healthier animals better fit for human consumption. Healthier animals decrease the risk of foodborne illnesses, making them arguably safer for us to eat. Since antibiotics drastically decrease the resources required to raise livestock, it has significantly reduced the cost of food, making it more affordable for everyone. Lowering prices and increasing production helps fill the demand for protein in our ever-growing population. For these reasons, roughly 70% of all antibiotics annually produced in the United States are utilized to fatten up livestock, amounting to 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics each year [4].
Unfortunately, the use of antibiotics does not come without consequences. As antibiotic resistance becomes a dire issue in modern society, researchers are actively studying the relation between the use of antimicrobial drugs in animals and the rise of antimicrobial resistance in humans. In one study completed in Germany, nasal swabs were taken from farmers and their colonized pigs to test for the presence of MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [5]. It was previously estimated that MRSA asymptomatically colonized the animals in roughly half of industrial pig farms. However, this study revealed that of the 57 farms that were surveyed, 47 of the farms had pigs infected with MRSA. Of the 113 humans that worked in these farms, 97 of them had MRSA in their nasal pathways, amounting to an 86% animal to human transmission rate. Before the development of industrial farming and antibiotic treatments, Staphylococcus aureus was only found in less than 1% of pigs [6]. In another study, researchers took fecal samples from two healthy humans to analyze the antibiotic resistance profiles in their microflora [7]. They found that the gut microbiome of both individuals were resistant against 11 of 13 antibiotic drugs tested. The only two drugs that the two individuals didn’t have resistance for, chloramphenicol and minocycline, were the only two drugs that weren’t administered to livestock. Both these studies indicate that antibiotic resistance is being actively transferred from animals to humans. Even trace amounts of antimicrobial drugs used on livestock can create selective pressure for antimicrobial resistance genes, which can then rapidly spread into human microbiomes.
As the dangers of the widespread use of antibiotics come to light, some people are turning to organic farms. Organically grown animals are not administered any antibiotics, so they require significantly more space, feed, and time to grow [8]. Given the higher expense of raising organic crops and animals, organic foods tend to cost more than non-organic foods, often reaching double the price [9]. While some people associate organic foods with being “healthier,” studies have shown that there are no nutritional differences between organic and non-organic foods [10]. Just like industrial farming, organic farming has its pros and cons. For example, organic beef leaves a greater carbon footprint compared to industrial beef, while organic crops are more environmentally sustainable than industrial crops [11,12]. Therefore, it is important to stay informed, since the cost-benefit is ultimately left up to you, the consumer, to weigh.
References
1. https://microbiologysociety.org/members-outreach-resources/outreach-resources/antibiotics-unear thed/antibiotics-and-antibiotic-resistance/the-history-of-antibiotics.html
2. Antibiotic Activity of Growth-Factor Analogues*. Nature 162, 356–359 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/162356a0
3. Hays, Virgil W. “Benefits and Risks of Antibiotics Use in Agriculture.” Agricultural Uses of Antibiotics, 1986, pp. 74–87., doi:10.1021/bk-1986-0320.ch007.
4. Hogging It: Estimates of Antimicrobial Abuse in Livestock,” by Margaret Mellon, Charles Benbrook, and Karen Lutz Benbrook, Union of Concerned Scientists, January 2001
5. Cuny, Christiane et al. “Livestock-Associated MRSA: The Impact on Humans.” Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 4,4 521-43. 6 Nov. 2015, doi:10.3390/antibiotics4040521
6. Pulverer and Entel, Abl.Bakt.Orig.I, 1967;202:344-51
7. Sommer, Morten O A et al. “Functional characterization of the antibiotic resistance reservoir in the human microflora.” Science (New York, N.Y.) vol. 325,5944 (2009): 1128-1131. doi:10.1126/science.1176950
8. https://www.sare.org/publications/transitioning-to-organic-production/what-is-organic-farming/
9. https://www.mofga.org/resources/local-food/price-differences-organic-versus-non-organic-store versus-farmers-market/
10. Rosen, Joseph. (2010). A Review of the Nutrition Claims Made by Proponents of Organic Food. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 9. 270 - 277. 10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00108.x.
11. Buratti, C et al. “Carbon footprint of conventional and organic beef production systems: An Italian case study.” The Science of the total environment vol. 576 (2017): 129-137. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.075
12. Birkhofer, Klaus & Smith, Henrik & Rundlöf, Maj. (2016). Environmental Impacts of Organic Farming. 10.1002/9780470015902.a0026341.
Proudly powered by Weebly