The superbug revolution: how farmers are winning without antibiotics

Imagine a child returning from a farm visit with a routine infection-yet the antibiotic prescribed no longer works. This situation, once unthinkable, is becoming increasingly plausible as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spreads rapidly (WHO, 2024). Global projections warn that drug-resistant infections could claim up to 10 million lives annually by 2050 if no action is taken (WHO, 2024). India mirrors this growing threat, with antibiotic use in farm animals having risen more than threefold since the early 2000s (Van Boeckel et al., 2024). But amid this challenge lies a remarkable opportunity: more farmers are now demonstrating that high productivity is possible without routine antibiotic use. With improvements in hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention, animals remain healthy while farm income increases (Gadde et al., 2017; Suresh et al., 2018). Countries like Denmark and the Netherlands provide compelling evidence that such transitions are both practical and profitable (DANMAP, 2023).