Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance in Food and Agriculture

By Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Its work in response to the many challenges of AMR is currently guided by the FAO Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021–2025. This first report on FAO’s contribution to the global response to AMR outlines a wide range of activities undertaken by FAO at global, regional and country level.

This report:
•
describes FAO’s role in the global governance of AMR;
•
provides an overview of progress on implementing national action plans on AMR in agrifood systems;
•
highlights key activities undertaken to implement the FAO Action Plan on AMR 2021–2025; and
•
flags key challenges and opportunities related to AMR in the food and agriculture sectors.

The AMR response in the food and agriculture sectors requires more and better evidence, more informed, more widespread interventions to reduce the threat of AMR, greater resources, stronger capacity and more robust governance to ensure effective stakeholder engagement and sustained commitment and action based on the One Health approach to reduce AMU, particularly at country level.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Release date: Apr 23, 2024
• ISBN: 9789251387139

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

An intergovernmental organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has 194 Member Nations, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union. Its employees come from various cultural backgrounds and are experts in the multiple fields of activity FAO engages in. FAO’s staff capacity allows it to support improved governance inter alia, generate, develop and adapt existing tools and guidelines and provide targeted governance support as a resource to country and regional level FAO offices. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, FAO is present in over 130 countries.Founded in 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO provides a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and debate policy. The Organization publishes authoritative publications on agriculture, fisheries, forestry and nutrition.

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FAO. 2024. Tackling antimicrobial resistance in food and agriculture. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc9185en

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ISBN 978-92-5-138713-9

© FAO, 2024

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CONTENTS

Contents

Figures

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

Foreword by the Deputy Director-General

Executive summary

Section 1. Antimicrobial resistance in food and agriculture

1.1 Overview of antimicrobial resistance in the agrifood system

1.2 FAO’s contribution to the global response to antimicrobial resistance

Section 2. One Health collaborations

2.1 Quadripartite collaboration

2.2 Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Partner Trust Fund

2.3 Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance

2.4 Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Platform

Section 3. National action plans on antimicrobial resistance: implementation status in the food and agriculture sectors

3.1 Monitoring the implementation of the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance

3.2 Key TrACSS data relevant to the food and agriculture sectors

Section 4. Supporting Members in strengthening their capacities to combat antimicrobial resistance in agrifood systems

FAO partners

4.1 Increasing stakeholder awareness and engagement

4.2 Strengthening surveillance and research

4.3 Enabling good practices

4.4 Promoting the responsible use of antimicrobials

4.5 Strengthening governance and allocating resources

Section 5. Challenges and opportunities: The way forward

References

FIGURES

1. FAO tackles the challenges of antimicrobial resistance in food and agriculture through a One Health approach

2. Key milestones on the road to quadripartite collaboration against AMR

3. Priorities of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance

4. Collaborative coordination mechanism of the Partnership Platform

5. Number of countries that have responded to the TrACSS survey since 2016

6. National antimicrobial resistance action plans and governance

7. Legal frameworks to support responsible and prudent use

8. Percentage of countries responding to the 2020-2021 TrACSS survey that used data on antimicrobial resistance and/or use to inform decision-making on at least an annual basis, by sector

9. Goals of the FAO Action Plan on AMR 2021-2025

10. Users who accessed the e-learning course

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FAO would like to express its sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to the development of the first FAO report on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), especially the following individuals.

The FAO AMR leadership, represented by CJWZ Chief/Chief Veterinary Officer Keith Sumption and FAO AMR Coordinator Junxia Song, for their guidance and support.

The FAO AMR Working Group at headquarters and in regional offices, including the following officers who provided useful inputs and comments during the review process: Daniel Beltran-Alcrudo, Carmen Bullon, Sarah Cahill, Marisa Caipo, Domingo Caro III, Mark Caudell, Giuliano Cecchi, Myeongsin Choi, Alejandro Dorado Garcia, Mary Joy Gordoncillo, Jieun Kim, Simon Funge Smith, Francesca Latronico, Rodolphe Mader, Koen Mintiens, Nelea Motriuc, Scott Newman, Irene Ouoba, Jorge Pinto Ferreira, Tipparat Pongthanapanich, David Sutherland, Tenaw Tadege, and Yu Qiu.

The FAO reporting team for leading the development and drafting of the report: Huyam Salih, Antonio Valcarce, Fallon Bwatu Mbuyi, Cai Chang, Samuel Muriuki, Junxia Song, and report writer Ian Grubb. The design team, Claudia Ciarlantini and Giada Semeraro and, Poilin Breathnach, who supported the drafting and publication process.

ABBREVIATIONS