Antibiotics from the EU – Skaraborgs Allehanda

The EU Council of Ministers has taken a number of decisions aimed at reducing the use of antibiotics in livestock farming.

Decisions include, among other things, that antibiotics should not be used systematically in agriculture. It must also not be used for preventive purposes or to compensate for a lack of breeding.

The decision is pleasant for several reasons. The WHO has called antibiotic resistance as one of the biggest threats to global health. In Europe alone, it is estimated that resistant bacteria are responsible for tens of thousands of deaths per year. The majority of the antibiotics used go to the animals, so this treatment must be limited.

The decision is also good for consumers. In Swedish meat, the risk of acquiring antibiotics with meat is minimal, the greater the amount of imported meat is important, especially if it comes from non-EU countries. In addition, animals are fed up with unnecessary treatments with drugs.

In Sweden, we already have equivalent requirements. The use of antibiotics in agriculture is much less prevalent in Sweden than in the rest of the EU. When routine medicine is no longer an option, quality requirements in breeding will increase to keep animals healthy. The new requirements will therefore make food production more expensive within the EU. For Swedish farmers, the new rules are therefore pleasant from the point of view of competition.

However, there are still many obstacles for Swedish farmers. Sweden generally has tighter rules for agriculture compared to the rest of the EU. The consequence of these national constraints is that it is becoming increasingly expensive to produce food in Sweden. Since the additional costs can not be transferred to higher prices, the profitability of Swedish agriculture will be reduced. Some consumers think that it is worth paying a higher price for products that meet Swedish requirements, but not all, why foreign food imports are high.

Nor does the Swedish State think it is worth paying for the stricter requirements imposed on farmers. When food is purchased by the state, municipalities and county councils bought abroad can be produced in an unauthorized way in Sweden. Imposing higher demands on an industry that consumers and states themselves willing to pay slows down without risk and kills the industry.

The state must begin to take responsibility for its own choices. And start to adapt the purchases to the reality that they created. A not unreasonable rule would be that the foodstuffs purchased are produced in accordance with the requirements of Swedish agriculture. This would give Swedish farmers a more reasonable opportunity to compete with their products. This would also highlight the strong demands of agriculture in Sweden.

Swedish politicians do not want to strengthen agriculture, they must remove unnecessary rules. Rules that deserve protection should be pursued at EU level. As long as there are differences, Swedish public procurement must be adapted to the requirements of Swedish production. Prohibiting the unnecessary use of antibiotics is a good step forward.

Jakob Styrenius / SNB