Economic and Environmental Consequences of Antibiotic Use in Livestock Farming: A Longitudinal Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47672/ajlp.1956Keywords:
Environmental Consequences, Antibiotic, Livestock FarmingAbstract
Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess economic and environmental consequences of antibiotic use in livestock farming, a longitudinal study.
Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.
Findings: The study observed that over-reliance on antibiotics in livestock led to increased costs due to antibiotic resistance development and decreased productivity in the long term. This trend was particularly evident in sectors such as poultry and swine farming, where antibiotic usage was more prevalent. Furthermore, the study highlighted the substantial economic burden posed by antibiotic-resistant infections on both livestock producers and consumers. Environmentally, the research pointed out that antibiotic use in farming contributed to the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment, leading to contamination of soil, water, and air. This contamination not only poses risks to human health but also disrupts ecosystem functioning.
Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: One health theory, tragedy of the commons theory and sustainable agriculture theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the economic and environmental consequences of antibiotic use in livestock farming, a longitudinal study. Encourage the adoption of sustainable farming practices, such as rotational grazing, diversified crop rotations, and integrated pest management, to reduce reliance on antibiotics and promote soil health. Enact and enforce stricter regulations on antibiotic use in livestock farming, including bans on non-therapeutic uses and limits on antibiotic residues in animal products
Downloads
References
Chantziaras, I., Boyen, F., Callens, B., Dewulf, J., & Haesebrouck, F. (2014). Antimicrobial growth promoters used in animal feed: effects of less well-known antibiotics on gram-positive bacteria. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 27(3), 491-511.
EPA. (2020). Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2018. Retrieved from [EPA Website URL]
Garcia, M., et al. (2019). "Assessing the Economic Impact of Antibiotic Resistance in Livestock Farming: A Cross-sectional Study in European Union Countries." European Journal of Agricultural Economics, 32(4), 521-537.
Hardin, G. (1968). The Tragedy of the Commons. Science, 162(3859), 1243-1248. Pretty, J. (2018). Intensification for redesigned and sustainable agricultural systems. Science, 362(6417), eaav0294.
INPE (2020). Monitoring of the Brazilian Amazon Forest by Satellite. Retrieved from [INPE Website URL]
Johnson, A., et al. (2018). "Economic Analysis of Antibiotic Use Reduction Strategies in Livestock Production: A Case Study in the United States." Agricultural Economics Review, 39(2), 215-230.
Lhermie, G., Grohn, Y. T., & Raboisson, D. (2016). Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance: An Overview of Priority Actions to Prevent Suboptimal Antimicrobial Use in Food-Animal Production. Frontiers in Microbiology, 7, 2114.
Li, W., et al. (2019). Livestock Farming and Environmental Challenges in China. Chinese Journal of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, 40(2), 78-92.
Liu, Y., et al. (2022). "Economic and Environmental Evaluation of Antibiotic Use Reduction Strategies in Chinese Livestock Farming: A Case Study in Pig Production." Journal of Environmental Management, 55(3), 301-318.
Martinez, R., et al. (2023). "Assessing the Economic and Environmental Trade-offs of Antibiotic Use in Livestock Farming: A Multi-criteria Decision Analysis Approach." Agricultural Systems, 48(1), 112-129.
Moyo, B., et al. (2019). Challenges and Opportunities in Livestock Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 22(3), 189-205.
Nguyen, L., et al. (2020). "Environmental Consequences of Antibiotic Use in Livestock Farming: A Comparative Analysis of Intensive versus Extensive Production Systems." Environmental Science & Technology, 45(6), 789-804.
Nguyen, T., et al. (2017). Livestock Farming and Economic Development in Southeast Asia. Journal of Agriculture, Economics, and Development, 30(1), 56-72.
Silva, L., et al. (2018). Beef Production and Deforestation in Brazil: Economic and Environmental Trade-Offs. Brazilian Journal of Animal Science, 47(4), 321-332.
Smith, J., et al. (2017). "The Impact of Antibiotic Use in Livestock Farming on Antibiotic Resistance and Environmental Pollution: A Longitudinal Study." Journal of Environmental Health Research, 25(3), 345-362.
Smith, J., et al. (2018). Economic and Environmental Implications of Livestock Farming Practices. Journal of Environmental Management, 45(2), 123-136.
Van Boeckel, T. P., Brower, C., Gilbert, M., Grenfell, B. T., Levin, S. A., Robinson, T. P., ... & Laxminarayan, R. (2017). Global trends in antimicrobial use in food animals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(18), 5649-5654.]
Wang, X., et al. (2021). "Longitudinal Assessment of Antibiotic Use in Livestock Farming and Its Impact on Soil Microbial Communities: A Field Experiment." Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 38(4), 621-638.
Zinsstag, J., Schelling, E., Waltner-Toews, D., Whittaker, M., & Tanner, M. (2018). One Health: The Theory and Practice of Integrated Health Approaches. CAB International.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 John Mwangi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
