Factory farms overuse antibiotics to stop animals getting sick, giving rise to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which enters the food chain and environment, infecting waterways. The overuse of antibiotics allows bacteria to build resistance to life-saving medicine, which will have devastating implications on people, animals and our planet. The World Health Organisation has declared AMR one of the top ten health threats of this century, yet, there is little monitoring of AMR in the environment.

We will document AMR levels in the UK by comparing waterways in areas with many factory farms with non-farmed land and high welfare farms. We will survey local people to gain further information about the impact of the farming industry on affected communities. These findings will be used to build public opposition to the building of new factory farms, pressure large food companies and the government to reduce their reliance on antibiotics, including championing a prophylactic antibiotic ban.