Biosecurity assessment tool reduces antimicrobial use in pig and broiler production

The GLOBALG.A.P. Secretariat recently served as a project partner on the technology transfer team in the EU-funded HealthyLivestock research project. This project was developed to discover ways to reduce antimicrobial use in pig and broiler production in China and Europe by improving animal husbandry, feeding, and watering practices, all while maintaining productivity.

As part of the project’s technology transfer team, we joined industry representatives and members of the scientific community to evaluate to what extent the findings can be applied to real-life livestock production practices. We reviewed the project’s results and classified them in terms of their technology readiness level, enabling us to share any truly actionable findings with retailers and other quality assurance systems.

Farm-level risk assessment stands out as an actionable solution

Although researchers in the HealthyLivestock project tested numerous promising scientific approaches for improving animal husbandry practices and reducing antimicrobial use, many of these approaches require further study before we will be able to share them with our production partners in the supply chain.

However, the project did discover that implementing a farm-specific biosecurity risk assessment is an effective measure that producers can put into practice immediately to reduce their dependence on antimicrobials while preserving farm productivity. Based on this discovery, we encourage our primary production partners in the supply chain for pork and broiler meat to incorporate a biosecurity risk assessment tool into their existing quality assurance procedures if they have not already done so.

An effective risk-assessment tool

A useful biosecurity risk assessment tool – BEAT – was developed as part of the HealthyLivestock project to assist producers with this recommended farm-level assessment. With this tool, the farm manager, in collaboration with the farm’s veterinarian, uses a defined checklist to evaluate the farm’s biosecurity status. Any deficiencies or gaps that are discovered during the assessment can then be promptly addressed. The documents for BEAT can be downloaded for free online.

You can download the documents for pig production here.

From theory to practice: taking action to reduce antimicrobial use

Reducing antimicrobial use in pig and broiler production is in line with the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) and is a desirable and attainable objective for society as a whole. It’s time we all took the necessary steps to accomplish this goal.

That’s why we’re encouraging stakeholders in the pork and broiler meat supply chains to review the quality assurance systems that their source farms are using, to check whether these already include effective biosecurity risk assessment practices. If not, we encourage pig and broiler producers to consider using BEAT to develop better ways to produce healthy livestock and reduce reliance on antimicrobials.

Read more in-depth results from the HealthyLivestock research project here.