A central message in the report is that antimicrobial resistance is a transboundary issue. The beneficial effects of reducing antimicrobial use in one country or region can, to some extent, be undermined by the introduction of resistant microorganisms from other countries or regions.

FAO projects that, without restrictions and reductions in antimicrobial use—including the use of antimicrobial growth promoters—antibiotic use will increase by approximately 30%, driven by an expected rise in animal production.

The report concludes that phasing out antimicrobial growth promoters will have short-term negative effects on productivity, particularly in production systems with suboptimal biosecurity and management. However, the long-term consequences of increased antimicrobial resistance are likely to result in higher overall costs.

The negative effects of phasing out antimicrobial growth promoters are estimated to require investments of around USD 28 billion to mitigate these impacts. In comparison, the long-term costs of continued use are expected to be significantly higher, although difficult to quantify.

Denmark phased out the use of antimicrobial growth promoters around the year 2000, and the EU banned their use in 2006.

The report also estimates antibiotic use per kilogram of biomass. Depending on the methodology applied, global antibiotic use in 2019 for farmed animals was estimated at between 100 mg and 140 mg per kg biomass (where biomass refers to the total live weight of animals in a country, region, or globally).

In Europe, antibiotic use was approximately 50 mg per kg biomass in 2019—i.e. less than 50% of the global level—when using the same biomass calculation methodology as FAO. This reflects the fact that the EU has phased out the use of antimicrobial growth promoters. In 2022, the EU also banned the routine prophylactic use of antibiotics.

According to the European Medicines Agency’s ESUAvet report, antibiotic use in farm animals in the EU decreased by approximately 25% from 2018 to 2024. In Denmark, usage levels were about 50% of the EU average.

The FAO publication clearly highlights the need to reduce and optimize antibiotic use. Antibiotics are necessary for the treatment of sick animals, both for economic reasons and for animal welfare. However, overuse will ultimately lead to reduced treatment efficacy, poorer animal welfare, decreased production due to increased mortality and lower growth rates, and, ultimately, economic losses.