Citizens' Daily Lobby

Even as the FDA announces new guidance for the “judicious use of medically important antibiotics in food-producing animals,” an acknowledgment that routine use of antibiotics as growth promoters or as prophylactics is not “in the best interest” of public health, resistance to change remains strong in farm and veterinary circles.

Nowhere is the entrenchment of the status quo more evident than in the veterinary profession itself.   I was disappointed to come across a recent article co-authored by a former, and respected, professor.  The article examined factors associated with isolation of mutiple antibiotic resistant (MAR) E. coli infections on cattle farms in the Western US.    One of the findings of the study was that organic dairies have fewer cases of  this type of infection than conventional dairy farms.   Age of animals and geographic location, among other factors, were also examined and had varying affects on development of resistance.

The fact that organic dairies experience fewer multiple antibiotic resistant E. coli isolates is great news for both producers and consumers of organic products.  Unbelievably, the authors chose to downplay this result.  Their conclusion?

MAR in fecal E coli isolates from cattle was influenced by factors not directly associated with the use of antimicrobials, including geographic region, animal age, and purpose (beef vs dairy). (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2010;236:1338–1344)

I think there is a glaring omission here.  Organic farms use  no antibiotics .   If they do, they are not certified organic.  Therefore, organic farming can not be said to be unrelated to antibiotic use.   I’m not saying other factors on organic farms don’t contribute to the findings.  It’s likely that better management practices and cleaner facilities also play a role. After all, farms that don’t use antibiotics  must keep their cows from developing disease.   It’s simply outrageous that the authors do  not discuss the findings on organic farms at all.

Change is coming to animal agriculture.  Consumers have demanded it, and science demonstrates that it is necessary.