In a significant development towards combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and enhancing global health security, the USAID-funded Transformational Farm Output Risk Mitigation (TRANSFORM) project has garnered additional private sector support. This collaborative effort, now backed by over 30% of global broiler production, employs a One Health approach to address the interdependencies between human, animal, and environmental health.
As part of TRANSFORM, the International Poultry Council (IPC) is spearheading a transformative shift within animal agriculture by rallying poultry industry associations and private sector entities to uphold antimicrobial use stewardship principles. These principles guide actions to minimize the necessity for antimicrobial use, emphasizing responsible usage when required.
Today, 11 prominent organizations have declared their commitment to these stewardship principles, demonstrating a proactive stance towards reducing antimicrobial use at the farm level. The recognized organizations include the Animal Husbandry Association of Vietnam (AHAV), Asociación Latinoamericana de Avicultura (ALA), British Poultry Council (BPC), Canadian Poultry & Egg Processors (CPEP), Cargill, Inc., Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC), Hoa Phat, McDonald’s, Srinivasa Farms, Turkey Farmers of Canada (TFC), and Tyson Foods.
These organizations join eight others, including the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA), Federación Nacional de Avicultores de Colombia (FENAVI), Poultry Federation of India (PFI), Unione Nazionale Filiere Agroalimentari Carni e Uova (UNAITALIA), Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association (TBA), Vietnam Poultry Association (VIPA), DABACO Group, and Kenchic Limited, which had previously adopted or endorsed the principles.
Robin Horel, IPC President, expressed optimism, stating, “Each of the 19 organizations that have endorsed or adopted the antimicrobial use stewardship principles brings us closer to our goal of an industry-wide commitment.” The collective influence of these organizations spans over 100 countries, representing a significant share of global poultry meat production across diverse poultry production sectors.
The endorsed principles emphasize a risk-based approach to antimicrobial use, adoption of farm management practices enhancing animal health, compliance with national authorizations for antimicrobial use, and supervision by veterinarians for critically important antimicrobials. This collaborative effort underscores the industry’s commitment to proactive risk reduction at the farm level and beyond.
