The Industry Behind Tomorrow’s Plagues

Antibiotic resistance - two words that sound like the plot of a dystopian sci-fi novel but are very much the reality we’re facing. Bacteria are becoming harder to kill, antibiotics are becoming less effective, and once-treatable infections are now potentially deadly. While scientists work to develop new drugs, the inconvenient truth is that one of the biggest culprits behind this crisis isn’t hiding in some secret lab. It’s on your plate.

Let’s not mince words: the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture is a ticking time bomb. Yet the role of animal farming in creating and spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria is something too few people want to confront. So here’s the blunt question: are you contributing to this global health crisis, or are you vegan?

Factory Farms: Breeding Grounds for Resistance

Antibiotics are powerful tools in medicine, designed to save lives by fighting infections. But in animal agriculture, they’re used for a very different reason. Animals in factory farms are often kept in cramped, filthy conditions that would make an inspector’s head spin if they weren’t from within the industry. These environments are so disease-prone that farmers routinely dose animals with antibiotics—not to treat sickness, but to prevent it. In fact, up to 70% of all antibiotics used worldwide are given to farmed animals, not humans.

It doesn’t stop there. Low doses of antibiotics are also used to fatten animals up faster—a bizarre, profit-driven side effect discovered decades ago. The result? A perfect storm. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics in small doses over long periods, they learn how to survive. They adapt. Bacteria can reproduce every 20 minutes, they evolve right before our eyes. They become resistant. And when these antibiotic-resistant bacteria spill out of farms - through animal waste, contaminated water, or even the meat itself - they enter the wider environment, including our food chain.

Still feel good about that burger?

Antibiotics on Your Plate (and Beyond)

If you think this doesn’t affect you, think again. The next time you sit down to a meat-heavy meal, you’re not just consuming animal flesh; you’re also ingesting traces of antibiotics, drug-resistant bacteria, and the consequences of a broken system. When people eat meat from animals raised on antibiotics, they risk introducing resistant bacteria into their gut microbiomes. Those bacteria don’t just hang out quietly; they have the potential to spread resistance to other microbes.

And it’s not just food. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria travel. They seep into soil and water systems, hitch rides on workers’ clothing, and even make their way into urban centres. This isn’t just a farming problem - it’s an everyone problem.

It is estimated that bacterial resistance was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths. 

The Cost of Resistance

What does antibiotic resistance mean in real terms? It means more people dying from simple infections. It means routine surgeries, childbirth, and even minor cuts becoming risky ventures. It means diseases that were once easy to treat - like urinary tract infections or pneumonia - becoming potentially fatal. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that if we don’t act now, by 2050 antibiotic resistance could kill 10 million people per year. That’s more than cancer.

And guess what? All the handwashing, mask-wearing, and hand sanitiser in the world won’t fix this problem if we keep enabling it through animal agriculture. The system itself is rotten, and antibiotics are just one tool keeping it duct-taped together.

Plantbased diets: A Solution in Plain Sight

Here’s where the conversation shifts. By removing animal products from your diet, you’re cutting your support for an industry that guzzles antibiotics.

Consider the impact. If everyone went vegan, the demand for farmed animals would vanish. No factory farms, no crowded pens, no routine antibiotic use. Antibiotic resistance would still exist - it’s a natural phenomenon - but the biggest, most preventable source of resistance would be eliminated.

The meat and dairy industries are driving this crisis, and choosing veganism is one of the most effective ways to stop fuelling the fire.

The Cognitive Dissonance Problem

Here’s the wild part: many people who worry about antibiotic resistance don’t think twice about eating animal products. They’ll cry for their relative who died from a drug-resistant “superbug” and then include chicken wings at the wake buffet.

It’s the same cognitive dissonance that lets people mourn their dog while eating a pig, or denounce deforestation while eating a steak.

The truth is, we’re conditioned not to make these connections. Advertising, cultural norms, and the sheer ubiquity of animal products make it easy to compartmentalise. But at some point, we have to ask ourselves: if we’re genuinely concerned about public health, why aren’t we acting on the biggest contributors to these crises?

What About "Sustainable Meat"?

Some people cling to the idea of "sustainable" or "antibiotic-free" meat as a get-out-of-guilt-free card. Let’s debunk that right now. Antibiotic-free labels might sound reassuring, but they don’t address the core issue: animal farming itself. Even without antibiotics, factory farms still concentrate animals in unsanitary conditions, creating breeding grounds for disease. And while free-range or organic systems might use fewer antibiotics, they’re still part of a system that exploits animals and depletes resources.

Let’s not pretend that slapping a green label on meat fixes anything.

The Bigger Picture

Antibiotic resistance isn’t just an animal farming issue; it’s a justice issue. The overuse of antibiotics disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, especially in low-income regions where access to healthcare is limited. When resistant infections spread, it’s often the poorest communities that suffer most.

And then there’s the environmental fallout. Factory farms generate massive amounts of waste, much of it laced with antibiotics and resistant bacteria. This waste contaminates water supplies, harms wildlife, and disrupts ecosystems. Again, this isn’t just about what’s on your plate - it’s about the world we all share.

It’s Not Too Late

The good news? This is a crisis we can do something about. Choosing veganism isn’t just a personal decision; it’s a statement against the systems driving antibiotic resistance. It’s a way of saying, “I refuse to contribute to this injustice.”

And if you’re already vegan, take this information and spread it. Educate others. Hold the industry accountable. Push for policies that restrict antibiotic use in farming and support plant-based agriculture. Every conversation, every social media post, every choice matters.

The Bottom Line

The question is simple: are you part of the solution or part of the problem? Are you contributing to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant diseases, or are you vegan? There’s no grey area here. The stakes are too high, and the evidence is too clear.

So the next time someone talks about antibiotic resistance, ask them what’s on their plate.