Tackling antimicrobial use and resistance in dairy cattle

Lessons learned in Sweden

This publication describes the long-term efforts of the Swedish dairy sector to keep animals healthy, thereby putting Swedish dairy farms at the top with regards to low use of antibiotics combined with high productivity. The Swedish success story rests on strong partnerships among farmer organizations, veterinary services, academia, and government agencies and ministries.

This document is a tribute to the pioneers and current stakeholders for their sustained work in continuously improving animal health, welfare and productivity, including through the development and implementation of specific health programmes, the recording of production and disease data, the formulation of treatment guidelines and the surveillance and monitoring of antibiotic resistance and use. 

Key has been a bottom-up approach, allowing farmers' views and conditions to be considered before introducing interventions for limiting the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.