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UN PhotoFAO / ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANT REPORT
STORY: FAO / ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE REPORT
TRT: 2:42
SOURCE: FAO
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT FAO ON SCREEN / EMBARGO UNTIL 10:00 CET 03 JUNE 2026
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 03 JUNE 2026, ROME, ITALY /FILE
10 SEPTEMBER 2024, CHUY REGION, KYRGYZSTAN
1. Wide shot, cows in a livestock farm
MARCH 2021, GATUNDU, KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA
2. Med shot, chickens eating in a poultry farm
14 OCTOBER 2025, RAJSHAHI, BANGLADESH
3. Wide shot, pharmacist taking a medicine from a rack
4. Med shot, farmer buying antibiotics
FILE - ROME, ITALY
5. Aerial shot, FAO Headquarters
6. Close up, FAO flag
27 MAY 2026, ROME, ITALY
7. SOUNDBITE (English), Alejandro Acosta, Livestock Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO):
"In the long term the cost of inaction is 6 times higher than the cost of action. What is the meaning of that? That means that if we let the level of antimicrobial resistance to increase, that will cost globally around 318 billion by 2040. Now, if we remove the use of growth promoters, if we phase-out growth promoters, that cost could be around 53 billion by 2040.”
20 OCTOBER 2017, DHAKA, BANGLADESH
8. Close up, farmer pouring antibiotic into water
8 OCTOBER 2020, KIAMBU COUNTY, KENYA
9. Wide shot, farmer feeding pigs
10. Close up, pigs eating
9 JANUARY 2024, BANGKOK, THAILANDIA
11. Close-up, chicken being analyzed in a laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Chulalongkorn University which hosts the FAO Reference Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
12. Med shot, chicken sample being analyzed in a laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Chulalongkorn University which hosts the FAO Reference Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
OCTOBER 2017, DHAKA, BANGLADESH
13. Close up, veterinary analyzing meat sample
14. Close up, veterinary using a microscope
27 MAY 2026, ROME, ITALY
15. SOUNDBITE (English), Alejandro Acosta, Livestock Economist, FAO:
“One of the challenges is related to the fact that although in the long term the cost of inaction is higher than action, in the short term there is a transition cost. There is an estimate of 28 billion in the short term that will be needed to support that transition process. That means that there is some transaction cost, there is some technological adjustment, there are resources that are needed in order to be able to move from the short-term, current situation to the long-term, ideal situation.”
14 OCTOBER 2025, RAJSHAHI, BANGLADESH
16. Wide shot, street view
17. Close up, chickens in a cage
18. Med shot, woman buying chickens in a market
6-12 JULY 2025, COTACACHI, ECUADOR
19. Med shot, butcher's shop
20. Close up, chickens on sale in a butcher's shop
2 JULY 2024, KAPOETA TOWN, SOUTH SUDAN
21. Close up, woman buying meat at local market
1-5 OCTOBER 2023, KAPOETA SOUTH COUNTY, SOUTH SUDAN
22. Close up, FAO veterinary supporting goats vaccination
23. Med shot, community veterinaries vaccinating a goat
14 OCTOBER 2025, RAJSHAHI, BANGLADESH
24. Med shot, poultry farmer washing his hands and feet as precautionary safety measure before entering his chicken farm
25. Wide shot, poultry farmer washing chicken feeders
26. Wide shot, poultry farmer walking in his chicken farm
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant long-term threat to food security, livestock production, economic welfare and human health, making it imperative to realign incentives in the global livestock sector before the costs of inaction become much harder to reverse, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Antimicrobials are essential for protecting animal health and welfare, but their overuse and misuse can accelerate antimicrobial resistance. This can make medicines less effective and create risks across human, animal and environmental health.
The new report, titled 'The Future of Antimicrobial Use in Livestock: The Economic Cost of Action or Inaction', warns that without decisive action, global antimicrobial use in livestock is set to increase by around 30 percent by 2040.
One part of the challenge is the use of antimicrobial growth promoters, or AGPs, which are used in some livestock production systems to improve growth and feed-use efficiency. While AGPs are associated with short-term productivity gains, especially where disease pressure is high and access to veterinary services, biosecurity and affordable alternatives is limited, the report shows that the long-term production losses projected under rising antimicrobial resistance scenarios are much larger than the costs of phasing out AGPs.
SOUNDBITE (English), Alejandro Acosta, Livestock Economist, FAO:
"In the long term the cost of inaction is 6 times higher than the cost of action. What is the meaning of that? That means that if we let the level of antimicrobial resistance to increase, that will cost globally around 318 billion by 2040. Now, if we remove the use of growth promoters, if we phase-out growth promoters, that cost could be around 53 billion by 2040.”
The report maps where future antimicrobial use in livestock is projected to be concentrated. By 2040, Asia and the Pacific are projected to account for nearly 65 percent of global livestock antimicrobial use by 2040, reflecting the region’s large and fast-growing livestock sector. South America is projected to account for around 19 percent. Africa remains a smaller user in absolute terms but is expected to record one of the fastest increases as livestock production expands to meet growing food demand. Europe and Northern America are expected to remain broadly stable, reflecting stronger regulation and shifts away from routine antimicrobial use.
The report suggests that sustained reductions in antimicrobial use intensity, supported by better productivity, stronger animal health systems and improved farm management, could significantly reduce future antimicrobial use while maintaining food security.
SOUNDBITE (English), Alejandro Acosta, Livestock Economist, FAO:
“One of the challenges is related to the fact that although in the long term the cost of inaction is higher than action, in the short term there is a transition cost. There is an estimate of 28 billion in the short term that will be needed to support that transition process. That means that there is some transaction cost, there is some technological adjustment, there are resources that are needed in order to be able to move from the short-term, current situation to the long-term, ideal situation.”
Managing this transition requires upfront investment to move from the current short-term situation to a more sustainable long-term pathway. This means combining regulation with economic incentives, investing in veterinary services, surveillance and diagnostics, promoting practical alternatives such as vaccination, biosecurity and improved husbandry, and aligning trade and market incentives with responsible antimicrobial use.
As governments work to reduce the need for antimicrobials on farms and in livestock systems, the tools and knowledge to support this transition already exist. The challenge is to make them accessible and affordable for farmers, value chains and governments. Acting now is not only less costly than inaction in the long term; it can also strengthen livestock systems, protect food security and help ensure that antimicrobials remain effective for future generations.
FAO calls for a One Health approach to fighting antibiotic resistance, treating human, animal and environmental health as a single interconnected challenge.
FAO works with governments and partners worldwide to apply this approach to antibiotic resistance, helping countries anticipate, prevent and control a threat that crosses borders and affects food security, public health and livelihoods.
