Productions
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27 April 2015
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Euronews Reporter |
The need for reduction of antibiotics in cattle farming |
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The Netherlands is the forerunner in Europe in the reduction of the use of antibiotics in intensive cattle farming. The densely populated country is the second largest agricultural exporter in the world and this has its negative effects on public health. Lately local doctors have warned the Dutch authorities that multi-resistant bacteria occur more often at farmers and people that live nearby the farms. And a study by a Dutch research institute that has been published recently concludes that there is a direct relation between the stench and the health of the local population surrounding the farms. A Dutch pig farmer decided to develop the farm of the future, a durable farm where a minimum of energy is used and pigs are forced to go to their toilet by innovative floors that are cooled and heated. The manure is processed in a durable way and used to produce energy. This all results in much happier pigs and no need any more of antibiotics. An important example because it is predicted that the use of antibiotics in intensive farming will rise with 70% worldwide in the upcoming years.
Activities: research, set-up.