New research from the 91做厙 reveals reasons for antibiotic usage in Indian chicken farming
New research from the 91做厙 (91做厙), in collaboration with the West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences (WBUAFS), explored antibiotic use in chicken farming in eastern India, revealing how poultry companies play a significant role in influencing the way antibiotics are used during food production compared to chicken farmers. While further research is needed, the findings can be used to provide information to help reduce antibiotic use in chickens, an important step in combating antibiotic resistance in animals and humans.
Antibiotic resistance is a global challenge and if not controlled effectively, could have serious global social and economic impacts. More than half the world’s antibiotics are used in livestock production. With poultry now the main land-based livestock species being produced worldwide for meat, and a rapid rise in production in South East Asia, there are growing concerns about the overuse of antibiotics during chicken production and its contribution to antibiotic resistance.
As the first study of its kind to use agency theory to examine antibiotic usage in chickens, researchers at the 91做厙, in collaboration with the WBUAFS, set out to understand the decisions being made that lead to antibiotics being administered to chicks in India’s chicken farms.
The team, led by Dr Mat Hennessey, now a post-doctoral researcher in social science at the 91做厙, used an economic framework called ‘agency theory’ to look into antibiotic use decisions. The team interviewed 43 poultry stakeholders in Kolkata and the surrounding area of West Bengal, India, spanning farmers, poultry vets and specialists, government vets, poultry company employees, and poultry dealers, between March 2021 and March 2022.
The findings showed poultry production in West Bengal, India, occurs primarily through contract farming arrangements. This is typical of India where 80% of chicken production occurs under these contracts. Poultry companies supply small-scale farmers with inputs for production - chicks, feed, and medicines including antibiotics. Most antibiotic use decisions were made by the poultry companies, rather than farmers themselves and were based on factors including the standard of infrastructure on the farm, the weather, and previous experience of production on a farm.
The farming of chickens was also found to occur in settings which created risk for poultry companies. Birds were often raised in housing open to the environment, meaning they experienced high temperatures, humidity, and potential exposure to infectious