Economics of antibiotic growth promoters in livestock

Rapidly rising incomes are driving demand for animal protein and livestock globally. The move toward more intensive production systems to support this increased demand is projected to increase the dependence on antibiotic growth promoters. The volume of antibiotics used for growth promotion in livestock outstrips that used for disease treatment in humans and creates significant selection pressure for the evolution of antibiotic resistance - a challenge for global health and resource conservation. This review describes the benefits and costs of antibiotic growth promoters in livestock and considers the prospects for more fully accounting for the externality costs.