“The world is truly facing an antibiotic emergency. This group’s plan to develop a ruminant roadmap marks a bold step forward. It leads the way for antibiotic use data collection and good stewardship in the ruminant sector”
– Professor Dame Sally Davies’s words at the launch
On 29th September, the UK ruminant sector took a significant step forward in demonstrating its commitment to responsible antibiotic use with the launch of an ambitious new roadmap initiative. Led by RCVS Knowledge and funded by AMAST Network, this collaborative effort brings together farmers, veterinarians, processors, and retailers to address one of the most pressing global health challenges of our time: antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Building on Success
The UK livestock sector has already achieved remarkable progress, with Dame Sally Davis praising the industry’s 59% reduction in antibiotic use over the past decade. This achievement demonstrates that responsible stewardship is not only possible but is already happening across British farms.
However, as Dame Sally Davies emphasized at the launch, “The world is truly facing an antibiotic emergency.” While the UK has made impressive strides, there is no time for complacency. Good data and continued vigilance are critical for behaviour change and providing evidence of progress to consumers, retailers, and international markets.
The UK Ruminant Antibiotic Stewardship Roadmap’s Four Main Objectives
This roadmap is built on four objectives:
- Promote and demonstrate responsible stewardship at UK farm level
- Drive progress in animal health and welfare
- Co-design data collection systems that satisfy customers and authorities
- Empower vets and farmers to make responsible decisions at farm and practice level
Two pillars drive everything forward: demonstrating responsible stewardship and collecting data with purpose – both at farm level to support vet-farmer conversations and at national level to defend the sector’s reputation.
Not About Zero Use
As emphasized throughout the launch, this is not about achieving zero use. Antibiotics remain vital tools when animals are sick and this initiative is about proving responsible use, not eliminating use.
As Mark Jelly emphasized from the farmer perspective, “This is about protecting the entire UK farming industry.”
What Happens Next
Now to June: Online workshops and face-to-face meetings across the sector
June: In-person summit to agree the actionable roadmap
October 2026: Final roadmap published
The UK already has strong foundations – established metrics aligned with EU standards, the Medicine Hub for farm-level data, and Wales leading the way with successful collection systems. The dairy sector has shown it can be done.
Collaboration is key to Success
This roadmap will be co-created, co-owned, and co-committed to by everyone in the sector. Veterinarians, farmers, processors, retailers – all stakeholders have a role in shaping what comes next.
Sign up to shape the roadmap, participate in workshops, and stay informed:
https://bit.ly/ruminantroadmap