Farm Foundation, NFP, and the USDA’s Economic Research Service are collaborating to present a workshop next month on the use of antibiotics in food animals. The workshop will be held in Washington, DC, from March 17-18, 2016.

The workshop was developed in response to the increasing concern seen in human medicine regarding the decline in the number of new antibiotics being developed. The decrease in antibiotic research is a direct response to the recent rise of antibiotic resistance. While concern for the consequences this may have on the future of human medicine is increasing, there has been little attention given to concerns regarding the implications this may hold for animal production.

The forum will examine ways to incentivize research and development of new antimicrobial drugs, as well as alternatives to antibiotics, including the state of the animal pharmaceutical market, ways to bring alternative products to market, regulations and requirements involved in both bringing products to market and the use of antibiotics in food production, and the overlap between human and animal antibiotic use and development.

Keynoting the workshop will be Catherine Woteki, USDA Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics. Other speakers will include representatives from FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, academic researchers,and representatives of animal health pharmaceutical companies, global animal health associations and biotech development companies. The workshop agenda is available HERE and on the Farm Foundation website.

Policy makers, researchers, government agency staff, and representatives of the human health, livestock production, veterinary medicine and animal health industries are all encouraged to attend the free workshop, and are encouraged to register for the event online.