Animals and Antibiotic Resistance
Photo credit: Torange, Creative Commons 4.0.
Introduction
This page explores how industrial methods of raising animals use antibiotics, which produces bacteria that are resistant to antibacterials. This is an important issue for Christian ethics because of how animals are treated that require close conditions, but also because eventually we are increasing risks to our own health and the health of animals.
Messages and Resources on Christian Restorative Justice, Environment, and Health
A practical Study and Action Guide for use by small groups discussion or personal reflection. The guide covers topics that are actionable on the personal and policy levels: sugar’s impact on our bodies and sugar corporations’ truth-telling and accountability, corn and corn subsidies creating over-supply, plastic and its biological impact on animals and humans, the true cost of meat in terms of soil depletion and air pollution, and food waste and the practices which can diminish it.
Other Resources on Animals and Antibiotic Resistance
Maryn McKenna, Imagining the Post-Antibiotics Future. Medium, Nov 20, 2013.
Wayne Pacelle, Banned in 160 Nations, Why is Ractopamine in U.S. Pork? Live Science, Jul 26, 2014. See also BBC News, Taiwan Protesters March Against US Pork Imports. BBC, Nov 23, 2020. After Trump lifted the ban and Taiwan followed suit.
Maryn McKenna, What Do We Do When Antibiotics Don't Work Anymore? TED Talk, Mar 2015.
James Gallagher, Bacteria That Resist Last Antibiotic Found in UK. BBC News, Dec 21, 2015.
The Economist, When the Drugs Don't Work: How to Combat the Dangerous Rise of Antibiotic Resistance. The Economist, May 21, 2016.
Ransdell Pierson and Bill Berkrot, U.S. Sees First Case of Bacteria Resistant to Last Resort Antibacteria. Reuters, May 27, 2016.
Karen Swallow Prior, How Evangelicals Can Recover Their Love for Animals. Sojourners, Jul 2016.
Charles Camosy, Why Should We Care About Animals Amidst So Much Human Suffering? Sojourners, Jul 2016.
Fiona MacDonald, The Science World is Freaking Out Over This 25-Year Old's Answer to Antibiotic Resistance. Science Alert, Sep 26, 2016.
Nico Pitney, This May Be The Most Sweeping Set Of Animal Protections Ever Announced. Huffington Post, Nov 3, 2016.
BBC News, Growing Resistance to Antifungal Drugs 'A Global Issue'. BBC, May 18, 2018.
Raj Patel and Jason W Moore, How the Chicken Nugget Became the True Symbol of our Era. The Guardian, May 8, 2018. when you turn the natural world into a profit-making machine
Andrew Jacobs, Denmark Raises Antibiotic-Free Pigs. Why Can’t the U.S.? New York Times, Dec 6, 2019. “American pigs are raised on a liberal diet of antibiotics, fueling the rise of resistant germs. Danish pork producers are proving there’s a better way.”
Christian Restorative Justice, Environment, and Health: Topics:
This page is part of our section on the Environment and Health, which explores the following topics:
Christian Restorative Justice Critique of the Right: Domestic Policy Topics:
This page is part of our section Critique of the Right, which engages the following topics:
Christian Restorative Justice Critique of the Right: Philosophical Influences:
