Four decades without antibiotics in animal feed – a journey that began with a group of concerned farmers

How did you, Sven-Erik, along with a group of other farmers, initiate the process that eventually led to the ban of all growth-promoting antibiotics in Swedish animal production almost 40 years ago?

– "Personally it was about the land. In the late 1960s, we started a farm that had been without animals for 30 years. We experienced problems with our crops but with the help of some SLU researchers, we became aware that the organisms in the soil were out of balance. The feed we used for the pigs contained antibiotics, and we asked researchers, veterinarians, and advisers if there was any risk that the diversity of the soil could be negatively affected by spreading pig manure on their fields. No one knew for sure, but they believed it was safe. We also wondered if there could be traces of antibiotics in the meat if we gave the pigs growth-promoting feed, and received the same answer – they didn't think it was a problem. However, we weren't entirely convinced and decided to buy feed without growth-promoting additives for our pigs, even though it was more expensive because it deviated from standard production”, Sven-Erik says.

Many countries outside the EU still use antibiotics for growth promotion, and there are doubts about whether high productivity can be achieved without antibiotics. How did the ban affect production on your farm?

– "Of course there were disruptions in production, but we had stopped a few years earlier and had a relatively small production. Pig production in Sweden at the time was not organized with routines and systems. We then started our own project called Planned Production. I was involved in the farmers’ association and talked about the system and all its benefits. The system involved, among other things, dividing the herd into groups, setting up cleaning programs, routines, keeping animals of different ages separated and implementing vaccination programs. We had implemented all of this before the motion was written, so I felt fairly confident that it would be possible to remove growth-promoters and still have healthy pigs with good productivity”, he explains.

Was it difficult to get other animal owners on board, or were there many who felt the same way about feed antibiotics?

– “At that time, pig farmers met in so-called 'Erfagrupper,' and we had many local meetings where I talked about our concerns, crops problems, and the changes in the production that we had made through Planned Production. Many farmers had recently stopped animal producton or started with slightly larger herds, and we had a serious and balanced discussion. When the motion was then written for the LRF (National Farmers' Association), the foundation had been laid, and many farmers voted in favor of a ban. There were some larger pig producers who were upset and voted against the proposal. LRF and the former Slaughterhouse Association were commissioned by Sweden's farmers to try to persuade the Parliament to ban growth-promoting antibiotics and to allow only veterinarians to prescribe antibiotics in case of disease. The proposal was adopted by the Parliament in 1986. It was a victory for democracy and showed that farmers' concerns had been taken seriously”, he says.

How do you feel today, when the entire EU has since long banned antibiotics for growth promotion and this is being held up as a good example?  

– "We should eat less meat, and the meat we eat should be of good quality from animals that have been well-treated. The majority of farms in Sweden follow these guidelines, with Swedish animal welfare legislation and no use of antibiotics for preventive purposes. However, many consumers are unaware of this, perhaps because they have read news in the media where they have seen terrible pictures of animals suffering. Unfortunately, this prevents me from feeling the pride that I believe Swedish farmers should feel. I wish that researchers, media, and other stakeholders would be better at highlighting the benefits of Swedish pig production and to emphasise our low use of antibiotics, and high productivity, while ensuring the well-being of the animals”, he says.

The fight against antibiotic resistance - as relevant today as in the 1980's!

During the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been a prioritised issue. SLU’s vice-chancellor and the programme director for SLU Future One Health participated in a high-level meeting in March 2023, where the Swedish work towards a responsible use of antibiotics in animals was presented (e.g. in a poster exhibition). Our report The Swedish experience was used in connection with the meeting and was appreciated by many international participants.