Last month, over 50 researchers and policymakers from the UK, Germany and more than a dozen low-and middle-income countries gathered in Berlin for a workshop on food system security to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Nearly three quarters of antibiotics produced globally are given to livestock to prevent disease, treat infections, and promote growth. The growing global population is increasing pressure on farmers and food-systems to deliver low-cost animal protein. This increases the use of antibiotics in farming, which is one of the largest causes of drug-resistant infections worldwide.
We gathered experts from diverse disciplines to look at the bigger picture of the threat of AMR caused by current food systems. The workshop aimed to strengthen global collaborations and develop new tools to reduce AMR risk globally.
The meeting was supported by the British Council and attended by representatives from the German Federal Ministry of Health, the German Agency for International Cooperation, the Robert Koch Institute (Berlin), the Hasso Plattner Institute (Potsdam), and the British Embassy.
Many gifted and devoted scholars and policy makers have come together at the historic venue of Liebermann House at the Brandenburg Gate to launch a truly global effort. I am sure that this conference will contribute to save human lives around the world and long into the future."
