A European One Health Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance (debate)
John Stuart Agnew (EFDD). – Madam President, agriculture has a part to play in the crucial fight against antimicrobial resistance. I am pleased to report that in the UK, all prophylactic use stopped in 2016 and the livestock industry is moving towards a preventative approach three-pronged by security, vaccination and improved welfare to help replace the use of antibiotics. A target maximum of 50 milligrams of antibiotic per kilo of live weight has been set as an industry challenge. Critically important antibiotics used in human medicine have been removed from use in livestock altogether. The breeders of the various species are now concentrating on promoting genes that demonstrate resilience to infections, but this work could be enhanced by modern breeding techniques, which – unfortunately – the Green lobby of this House has so far managed to prevent farmers from using. The same Green lobby, of course, has persuaded the Commission to spend fortunes in money trying to get the farmers to improve the world’s weather. That money would be so much better spent on infrastructure grants for bio-security, and they would yield a real return in the reduction of antibiotic use.