SUSTAINABILITY

Antimicrobial Resistance. On August 24, the United Nations-sponsored Global Leadership Group on Antimicrobial Resistance urged all countries to significantly reduce the levels of antibiotics used in food production. They recommended eliminating or reducing the over-the-counter sale of important antimicrobials for medical or veterinary purposes, discontinuing their use for animal growth promotion, and limiting their administration to prevent infections in animals and plants. The group’s message comes on the eve of the UN Food Systems Summit on September 23, where the issue could be taken up again.

The group argues that the current use of antimicrobials in animals and plants is promoting an increase in drug resistance and making infections more difficult to treat. Given this, and while the group acknowledges that there have been significant reductions in the use of antibiotics in animals globally, they see a need to reduce their use even further. “Using antimicrobials more responsibly in food systems must be a priority for all countries,” said Global Leadership Group on Antimicrobial Resistance co-chair Sheikh Hasina, who is also Prime Minister of Bangladesh. “Collective action across all relevant sectors is crucial to protect our most precious medicines, for the benefit of everyone, everywhere.”

The Group, which was established in November 2020 to accelerate global political momentum, leadership and action on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), comprises Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO; Monique Eloit, Director-General of the World Organization against Animal Health; by Guilherme Antônio da Costa Júnior, a member of the European Union’s Brazil Mission as Codex Alimentarius, and representatives of the pharmaceutical companies Merck and food company Mars Inc. The tripartite Joint Secretariat on Antimicrobial Resistance, a work composed of FAO, OIE and WHO, provides administrative support to the group.   

Next steps

The Global Leadership Group on Antimicrobial Resistance, comprised of heads of state, government ministers, and leaders from the private sector and civil society, is issuing this call to action ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit, to be held in New York on September 23, 2021. At this summit, UN member countries will analyze their options for transforming the world’s food systems, and this issue could be deepened and decisions could be made that could eventually affect the way food is produced globally and in Latin America.