(Brussels/12.05.2022) The number of germs against which antibiotics are no longer effective continues to rise. According to an investigation by Greenpeace, a large proportion of wastewater from slaughterhouses in Germany is contaminated with such germs. A total of 35 out of 44 samples were contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. According to Greenpeace, the reason for this is the mass production of cheap meat and the associated preventative administration of antibiotics to the animals.

Manuela Ripa, Member of the European Parliament for the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP), is calling for a radical rethink: "The main reason for the increasing ineffectiveness of our vital antibiotics is industrial livestock farming. Considerably more antibiotics are used here than for human medical purposes. Added to this are the illegal gray imports from other countries. In contrast to human medicine - where antibiotics are certainly sometimes administered without indication - in factory farming antibiotics are largely administered to healthy animals as a preventative measure. Over the years, more and more types of bacteria have become resistant to these immense quantities of antibiotics, especially to the highly potent reserve antibiotics that are vital for human survival. The latter continue to be used in large quantities as a preventative measure in healthy animals in factory farming. This practice should be stopped as soon as possible!"

With her campaign "Agrarwende jetzt!", the ÖDP politician is advocating a completely different type of agriculture. She is calling for the legislator to legislate for species-appropriate animal husbandry in which the preventive administration of antibiotics to healthy animals and, in particular, the administration of reserve antibiotics in animal fattening are banned. What is needed is a transition to a "health-oriented" animal husbandry system where, among other things, overcrowding and excessive herd sizes are avoided. According to studies, this also minimizes animal stress, which in turn significantly reduces the use of antimicrobials. 

In addition, gene feed from monocultures and total herbicides such as glyphosate must be abandoned. Last but not least, EU agricultural funding must be used primarily for organic, sustainable agriculture. In particular, Ripa wants to achieve the introduction of EU-wide, mandatory labeling on products that reflects the farming method and also provides information on the use of antibiotics.

As far as the problem of antibiotic resistance is concerned, this is a matter of life and death for many people, especially those with weakened immune systems. The MEP therefore warns: "According to calculations, 700,000 people worldwide already die every year from multi-resistant germs. If drastic measures against the mass consumption of antibiotics in animal fattening are not adopted quickly, studies show that up to 10 million deaths per year from multi-resistant germs can be expected in the future. This is why the agricultural turnaround must no longer be delayed."

Manuela Ripa points out that crops also come into contact with the germs through the wastewater or the spreading of liquid manure on the fields. This means that even vegetarians are not protected from such dangerous bacteria. In the opinion of the ÖDP politician, the mass production of cheap meat must be a thing of the past. It means unspeakable animal suffering and poses a threat to our health due to the development of multi-resistant germs. In addition, industrial agriculture contributes massively to climate change through climate-damaging emissions such as methane, destroys soils, pollutes groundwater and is largely responsible for the extinction of species. It also exacerbates famine in the world, as valuable grain is used as animal feed for livestock production. For Manuela Ripa, who is also a member of the MEP Interest Group on Antimicobial Resistance in the European Parliament in addition to her seat on the Health Committee, this is no longer acceptable. "We need clear political guidelines so that the current meat production, which is sawing at the branch we are sitting on, is a thing of the past," says the MEP.

To increase the pressure on decision-makers, the ÖDP MEP is calling for support for her "Agrarwende jetzt!" campaign.

More information: www.agrarwende-jetzt.de