Less antibiotics, more milk!

AI Quick Summary

Milk and dairy products are an important source of income for the Swiss economy, with a turnover of 11.9 billion Swiss Francs, 23.6% of which is linked to milk production. Supporting this sector and protecting it from losses is therefore a crucial and necessary step for the future of the agri-food sector. Despite improvements in the agricultural field, bovine mastitis remains one of the major causes of dairy herd-level economic lossesdue to the consequences of the disease, such as reduced milkyield/quality andpoor cow health, not to mention the increasing cost of treatments and diagnostic tools to identify the disease.According to a research paper published in 2014 mastitis-associated losses were estimated to be 129.4 million of Swiss Francs per year. Therefore, working to improve cows’ udder health would also improve the quality and safety of raw milk and dairy products in general (from farm to fork).Based on the last Swiss Antibiotic Resistance Report of 2024, mastitis treatment accounted for 30.3% of all antibiotic prescriptions in cattle. The widespread use of antibiotics in dairy farming might lead to the increase of selected antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the environment. The One Health approach requires cooperation, which is fundamental, between all key players involved in the food chain. According to WHO, two of the major challenges of agricultural activities are the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and food safety risks.Thus, implementing One Health measures could reduce the use of antibiotics on farms as well as milk waste/disposal (reduce AMR, increase sustainability) and lastly improve animal health.The aim of this project is to work closely with the main stakeholders involved in the dairy industry (farmers, public institutions, trade associations, private companies and consumer associations) to effectivelyimplement solutionsto reduce mastitis and in particular, the use of antibiotics in the dairy sector.

Project Idea Metadata

Project Idea Name: Less antibiotics, more milk!
Date: 3/3/2025 10:22:55 PM
Administrators:
- Alicia Romano'

Project Idea Description

Milk and dairy products are an important source of income for the Swiss economy, with a turnover of 11.9 billion Swiss Francs, 23.6% of which is linked to milk production. Supporting this sector and protecting it from losses is therefore a crucial and necessary step for the future of the agri-food sector. Despite improvements in the agricultural field, bovine mastitis remains one of the major causes of dairy herd-level economic lossesdue to the consequences of the disease, such as reduced milkyield/quality andpoor cow health, not to mention the increasing cost of treatments and diagnostic tools to identify the disease.According to a research paper published in 2014 mastitis-associated losses were estimated to be 129.4 million of Swiss Francs per year. Therefore, working to improve cows’ udder health would also improve the quality and safety of raw milk and dairy products in general (from farm to fork).

Based on the last Swiss Antibiotic Resistance Report of 2024, mastitis treatment accounted for 30.3% of all antibiotic prescriptions in cattle. The widespread use of antibiotics in dairy farming might lead to the increase of selected antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the environment. The One Health approach requires cooperation, which is fundamental, between all key players involved in the food chain. According to WHO, two of the major challenges of agricultural activities are the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and food safety risks.

Thus, implementing One Health measures could reduce the use of antibiotics on farms as well as milk waste/disposal (reduce AMR, increase sustainability) and lastly improve animal health.

The aim of this project is to work closely with the main stakeholders involved in the dairy industry (farmers, public institutions, trade associations, private companies and consumer associations) to effectivelyimplement solutionsto reduce mastitis and in particular, the use of antibiotics in the dairy sector.