Antibiotic Use in Livestock

Conventional livestock farming uses approximately 80% of all antibiotics sold in the US for growth promotion and disease prevention, fueling the WHO's top threat of antibiotic resistance. Organic certification bans routine antibiotic use, drastically reducing this risk. Yet conventional farmers argue that blanket bans increase animal suffering during infections, as treatment becomes restricted. This trade-off is more stark than #1's pesticide debate, as the public health stakes are clearer: 2 million Americans annually contract antibiotic-resistant infections. Organic practices here clearly outperform conventional in mitigating a global crisis, though ethical complexities persist.