Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christine Middlemiss will give the keynote address at the first national conference to examine global impacts of farm antibiotic use which is aimed at the food supply chain.

Covering the whole chain from ‘farm and vet to ‘fork’ but focusing specifically on the processing, retail and food service sectors, the ‘Antibiotic Stewardship in Animal Health and the Food Chain‘ conference will be held on 4 October at Resource for London (London, N7).

The conference, which is supported by RUMA, will show how good antibiotic stewardship is a key part of tackling the global epidemic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It will take a novel look at how strategies in different food supply chains are proving successful in ensuring the ongoing effectiveness of antibiotics that treat both animals and humans.

Speaking about the reason for bringing representatives of these sectors together at this event, Conference Director Scott Buckler said: “The global health crisis caused by antibiotic resistance should not be underestimated by any professional working in animal or food sectors.

“While progress has been made in some areas, the issue is still being ignored by too many organisations. We want to change that at this event, and highlight the urgent need to engage and act.

“As well as equipping attendees with tools, guidance, support and an understanding of the facts and priorities, we will be inspiring them with success stories. For example, poultry meat is one of the sectors that is sometimes criticised in the media – but in the UK they have reduced antibiotic use by 82% in six years. The British Poultry Council will be speaking at the event to clear up some of the myths and show how they brought their sector together in a ground-breaking antibiotic stewardship programme,” said Scott.

Also speaking at the event are Professor Guy Poppy from the Food Standards Agency, Professor Peter Borriello from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, and the Presidents of both the British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and the Society for Applied Microbiology, Philip Howard and Professor Mark Fielder.

Representatives from Marks and Spencer, Tesco, NOAH, Business Benchmark for Farm Animal Welfare, University of Bristol, RUMA, Bella Moss Foundation, Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies, and the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust will also be presenting.

RUMA is pleased to support this conference. For more information, and to book, go to www.amrworkshops.com. Please note tickets are limited.