Seeing the whole field: Why surveillance on antimicrobial resistance must span plants as well as animals

In recent years, there has been growing global attention to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — when microorganisms evolve and become harder to treat with antimicrobials, such as antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals — in animals and humans. But antimicrobials are also vital in crop production to manage bacterial and fungal diseases in apples, citrus fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, rice, and other major crops. When antimicrobials lose effectiveness due to resistance, farmers lose valuable tools to protect both animals and crops. This compromises food safety and seriously disrupts trade.

For years, however, there was little standardized data on how often antimicrobials are used on plants, which crops they are used on, and at what scale. Without this evidence, countries have struggled to fully assess risks and identify hotspots for support, innovation and alternative practices where they are needed most.

FAO recently extended its International Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (InFARM) system to include antimicrobial use (AMU) in plant production and protection. InFARM provides countries with a single platform to organize, analyze and visualize AMR data in animals and food. With a plant AMU also now included, the system supports even closer alignment with international standards and guidance and connects with global systems managed by the Quadripartite (FAO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), so national efforts can contribute to a more complete One Health perspective.

With the inclusion of plant production and protection, countries will be able to report how antimicrobials are used on crops, where and why, with options to include quantitative use data and qualitative information on practices, diseases, and compounds. For many, this will be the first time such evidence exists in a harmonized form.

This matters for farmers and consumers as much as for regulators and scientists. Clear data on antimicrobials use in crops helps countries better understand which plant diseases are driving the use of antimicrobials and where reliance is highest.

Knowing where resistance is likely to emerge allows countries to anticipate threats and safeguard food safety and availability. It also helps identify where investments in training, alternatives, or integrated pest management can reduce the need for antimicrobials altogether. Many producers are already working to manage plant health sustainably, and one of the most substantial incentives for further progress is having data that demonstrate what works in the field. 

Members of the AMR Surveillance Pilot Study analyze samples in a laboratory in Nairobi, Kenya. ©FAO/Luis Tato

Monitoring and surveillance also rely on flexibility. Not every country starts from the same point, so InFARM allows evidence to be built gradually - through pilot studies, existing lab networks or national surveillance programmes - while ensuring that data quality and representativeness are recorded transparently.

As InFARM data reveal where changes are taking hold, it becomes easier to scale progress and support producers to invest in safer alternatives. Evidence and action reinforce one another.

Plant health adds yet another important layer. Some bacteria and fungi that infect crops are notoriously hard to control, particularly under climate stress. When climate extremes intensify plant pest and disease pressures, producers may turn to antimicrobials as a last line of defence. Having reliable data on how antimicrobials are used on crops gives countries a better chance to protect crops and informs the responsible and appropriate use of these for the prevention of antimicrobial resistance.

The goal is a One Health surveillance that sees the whole system. Animals, plants, food products, residues, and resistance are all connected, and having a shared platform makes that reality easier to manage. InFARM is expanding and provides the structure, standards and data pathways needed to turn information into action.

Antimicrobials remain essential in some situations. The challenge is ensuring they work when truly needed. Strong surveillance makes that possible. When countries understand how antimicrobials are used in crops - as well as in animals - and why they are applied, it becomes easier to support other practices that keep plants healthy with fewer treatments.

Measures such as using resistant varieties, improving farm and field hygiene and adopting integrated pest management can reduce the need for antimicrobials while maintaining harvest yields. Combined with good husbandry and stewardship in animal production, these efforts help protect the effectiveness of critical medicines for the future. It is a decisive investment that safeguards food production and the health of plants, animals and people.

Learn more:

The International FAO Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (InFARM) system: Manual for implementation 2024

The International FAO Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring (InFARM) System: Guide for reporting information on antimicrobial use in plants

Kim-Anh Tempelman is a Project Officer at FAO

Alejandro Dorado Garcia is an Animal Health Officer at FAO