The paper, submitted by the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance and published in the International Chamber of Commerce G20 CEO Advisory Group’s “Business and Leaders” magazine, also asks the G20 to work with regulators and vets to develop bespoke solutions for farmers in each country so they can reduce, refine and replace use of antibiotics.

RUMA chair Gwyn Jones says it is hoped the article will place some much-needed context around the role of medicines in livestock farming.

“They remain a vital veterinary tool to protect animal health and animal welfare and help us to continue to produce safe, quality food.”

Mr Jones says the challenges to improving the responsibility with which antibiotics are used varies from country to country.

“In developed countries the barriers can revolve around supply chains, market pressure and communication. In developing countries, the focus is more on extended veterinary services to help farmers get the right medicine for treating their animals and to use those medicines at the right time and in the right way.”

He adds that responsible use also means using antibiotics ‘as little as possible and as much as necessary’, by managing farms appropriately.

In its concluding communiqué, the G20 stated: “We affirm the need to explore in an inclusive manner to fight antimicrobial resistance by developing evidence-based ways to prevent and mitigate resistance, and unlock research and development into new and existing antimicrobials from a G20 value-added perspective, and call on the WHO, FAO, OIE and OECD to collectively report back in 2017 on options to address this including the economic aspects.”