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Leon Marchal: The urgent case for antibiotic-free animals
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The UN predicts that antimicrobial resistance will be our biggest killer by 2050. "That should really scare the hell out of all of us," says bioprocess engineer Leon Marchal. He's working on an urgently needed solution: transforming the massive, global animal feed industry. Learn why the overuse of antibiotics in animal products, from livestock feed to everyday pet treats, has skyrocketed worldwide -- and how we can take common-sense measures to stave off a potential epidemic.
Leon Marchal - Bioprocess engineer
Leon Marchal is passionate about discovering more sustainable animal production. Full bio
Leon Marchal is passionate about discovering more sustainable animal production. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
There was a time
when simple infections were deadly,
when simple infections were deadly,
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but now, thanks to the wide
availability of antibiotics,
availability of antibiotics,
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this is merely a relic of the past.
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But actually, I should say "was,"
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because nowadays,
we're using antibiotics so much
we're using antibiotics so much
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that the bacteria
that cause these infections
that cause these infections
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are becoming resistant.
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And that should really scare
the hell out of all of us.
the hell out of all of us.
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If we do not change our behavior
and wean ourselves off antibiotics,
and wean ourselves off antibiotics,
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the UN predicts that by 2050,
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antimicrobial resistance
will become our single biggest killer.
will become our single biggest killer.
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So we must start to act.
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But "where to begin"
is an interesting question,
is an interesting question,
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because we humans are not
the only ones using antibiotics.
the only ones using antibiotics.
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Worldwide, 50 to 80 percent
of all antibiotics are used by animals.
of all antibiotics are used by animals.
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Not all of these are critical
for human health,
for human health,
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but if we do not get it
under control right now,
under control right now,
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we're looking at a very scary future
for humans and animals alike.
for humans and animals alike.
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To begin, let's talk
about how we ended up here.
about how we ended up here.
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The first large-scale use of antibiotics
was in the early '50s of the last century.
was in the early '50s of the last century.
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In the Western world,
prosperity was increasing
prosperity was increasing
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and people wanted to eat
more animal protein.
more animal protein.
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When animals were sick,
you could now treat them with antibiotics
you could now treat them with antibiotics
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so they did not die and kept growing.
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But soon, it was discovered
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that adding small and regular amounts
of antibiotics to the feed
of antibiotics to the feed
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kept the animals healthy,
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made them grow faster
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and caused them to need less feed.
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So these antibiotics worked well --
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really well, actually.
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And with increasing animal production,
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also antibiotic use skyrocketed worldwide.
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Unfortunately,
so did antibiotic resistance.
so did antibiotic resistance.
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The reason your doctor tells you
to finish the entire bottle of antibiotics
to finish the entire bottle of antibiotics
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is if you shorten your dose,
you will not kill all of the bugs.
you will not kill all of the bugs.
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And the ones that stick around
build up the antibiotic resistance.
build up the antibiotic resistance.
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It's the same problem with giving animals
small and regular doses of antibiotics:
small and regular doses of antibiotics:
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some bad bugs die but not all of them.
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Spread that across an entire industry,
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and you can understand
that we accidentally build up
that we accidentally build up
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a large reservoir
of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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But I hate to break it to you --
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the problem doesn't stop there.
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You know who else takes antibiotics?
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Fluffy, your cat, and Rover, your dog.
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(Laughter)
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Pets rank even amongst
the heaviest users of all,
the heaviest users of all,
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and they use antibiotics
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that are much more critical
for human health.
for human health.
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Combine this with how close
we live with our companion animals
we live with our companion animals
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and you understand the risk
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of you picking up antibiotic-resistant
bacteria from your own pet.
bacteria from your own pet.
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But how do these
antibiotic-resistant bacteria
antibiotic-resistant bacteria
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in farm animals affect you?
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Let me give you an example
we have, actually, data on.
we have, actually, data on.
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The levels of antibiotic-resistant
salmonella in pigs in Europe
salmonella in pigs in Europe
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against different types of antibiotics
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range from less than a percent
to as high [as] 60 percent.
to as high [as] 60 percent.
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Which means that in most cases,
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this antibiotic will not work anymore
to kill this salmonella.
to kill this salmonella.
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And there was a high correlation
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between antibiotic-resistant
salmonella in the pig
salmonella in the pig
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and in the final product.
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Whether that is pork chop,
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spare ribs or minced meat.
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Now, luckily, typically
less than one percent
less than one percent
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of all raw meat, fish or eggs
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will contain salmonella.
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And this only poses a risk
when not treated well.
when not treated well.
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Still, there are over 100,000
human salmonella cases in the EU
human salmonella cases in the EU
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and more than a million cases in the US.
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In the US, leading
to 23,000 hospitalizations
to 23,000 hospitalizations
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and 450 people dead each year.
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With antibiotic-resistant
salmonella on the rise,
salmonella on the rise,
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this death toll is likely to increase.
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But it's not only
about consuming yourself.
about consuming yourself.
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This year, more
than 100 people got infected
than 100 people got infected
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with a multidrug-resistant salmonella
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after feeding pig ears,
as a treat, to their dog.
as a treat, to their dog.
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So we really must cut back
on antibiotic use in animal production.
on antibiotic use in animal production.
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And luckily, this is starting to happen.
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The EU was the first region to ban
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putting antibiotics
in low doses in the feed.
in low doses in the feed.
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From '99 on, in several steps,
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the amount of different types
of antibiotics allowed was reduced,
of antibiotics allowed was reduced,
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and in 2006, a complete ban
went into place.
went into place.
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Antibiotics were only allowed
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when a veterinarian determined
the animal was sick.
the animal was sick.
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Sounds great, right?
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Problem solved.
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No, wait, not so fast.
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As soon as the reduction program started,
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it was very quickly discovered
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that antibiotics had been
the perfect blanket
the perfect blanket
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to cover up a lot of bad farm practices.
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More and more animals became sick
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and needed to be
cured with ... antibiotics.
cured with ... antibiotics.
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So instead of the total amount going down,
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it actually increased.
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Surely, that was not the way to go.
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But luckily, that was not
the end of the story.
the end of the story.
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The whole European agricultural sector
started on a journey,
started on a journey,
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and I think it's a journey
anybody can learn from.
anybody can learn from.
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This is also the time
I personally entered the scene.
I personally entered the scene.
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I joined a large European feed compounder.
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A feed compounder makes a total diet
for a farmer to feed to his animals
for a farmer to feed to his animals
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and often also provides the advice
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on how to raise the animals
in the best way.
in the best way.
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I was really motivated
to work together with my colleagues,
to work together with my colleagues,
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veterinarians and, of course, the farmers
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to figure out how to keep the animals
healthy and antibiotic-free.
healthy and antibiotic-free.
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Now there are three major things
that need to happen
that need to happen
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for antibiotic-free production.
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Let me walk you through the playbook.
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To start -- and it sounds very obvious --
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that our hygiene is the place to start.
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Better cleaning of the stable
and the drinking-water lines
and the drinking-water lines
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making it harder for the disease
to come in and spread across the stable.
to come in and spread across the stable.
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That's all very important,
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but the part I was personally
most interested in
most interested in
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was better feeding for the animals,
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better nutrition.
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Feeding a well-balanced diet is important.
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Think about it this way:
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when you yourself do not eat
enough fiber, you do not feel well.
enough fiber, you do not feel well.
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Part of the food you consume
is not digested by yourself
is not digested by yourself
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but fermented in your large
intestine by bacteria.
intestine by bacteria.
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So you're feeding those microbes
with part of your diet.
with part of your diet.
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Initially, most young animals
were fed low-fiber,
were fed low-fiber,
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high-starch and protein,
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very finely ground
and highly digestible diets.
and highly digestible diets.
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Like being yourself on a diet
of hamburger buns,
of hamburger buns,
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rice, waffles and protein bars.
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We changed this to a lower-protein,
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higher-fiber, coarser type of diet.
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Like being on a diet of whole grains,
salad with meat or beans.
salad with meat or beans.
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This shifted the bacterial flora
in the animals' guts
in the animals' guts
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to the more beneficial ones
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and reduced the chance
that pathogens would flourish.
that pathogens would flourish.
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You might be surprised
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but not only diet composition,
also diet structure plays a role.
also diet structure plays a role.
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Simply the fact
that the same diet is coarser
that the same diet is coarser
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will lead to a better-developed
digestive tract,
digestive tract,
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and thus, a healthier animal.
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But the best part was that farmers
started to buy this actually, too.
started to buy this actually, too.
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Unlike some other parts of the world,
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Western European farmers mainly still make
their independent buying decisions:
their independent buying decisions:
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who to buy the feed from
and sell their animals to.
and sell their animals to.
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So what you're actually selling in the end
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reflects the actual local need
of these farmers.
of these farmers.
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For example,
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the protein content in piglet diets
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in countries that are much more vigilant
in reducing antibiotics,
in reducing antibiotics,
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like, for example,
Germany and the Netherlands,
Germany and the Netherlands,
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were already 10 to 15 percent lower
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than in a country like the UK,
which was slower to pick this up.
which was slower to pick this up.
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But, like with better hygiene,
better nutrition helps
better nutrition helps
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but will not totally prevent you
from becoming sick.
from becoming sick.
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So more is needed.
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And that's why we turned
to the microbiome.
to the microbiome.
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Making the water with the feed more acidic
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helps to create an environment
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that benefits the more beneficial bacteria
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and inhibits the pathogens.
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Like fermented food,
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whether it's yogurt, sauerkraut or salami,
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they'll all spoil less quickly, too.
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Now, with modern techniques,
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like the ones based on DNA testing,
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we can see that there are many more
different microorganisms present.
different microorganisms present.
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And this ecosystem,
which we call the microbiome,
which we call the microbiome,
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is much more complex.
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Turns out there are about eight times
more microorganisms in your gut
more microorganisms in your gut
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as tissue cells in your body.
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And for animals, the impact is no less.
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So if we want to work
without antibiotics in animal production,
without antibiotics in animal production,
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we have to make the animals
much more robust.
much more robust.
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So that when a disease strikes,
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the animals are much more resilient.
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And this three-pronged
nutribiosis approach
nutribiosis approach
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involving the host, nutrition
and the microbiome
and the microbiome
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is the way to do it.
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Now the practice of raising animals
on an antibiotic-containing
on an antibiotic-containing
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or antibiotic-use-provoking diet
is a bit cheaper at farm level.
is a bit cheaper at farm level.
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But in the end, we are talking about
a few percent at the consumer level.
a few percent at the consumer level.
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That's actually quite affordable
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for the middle- and high-income
part of the world population.
part of the world population.
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And a very small price to pay
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when our own health
or our loved ones' health is at stake.
or our loved ones' health is at stake.
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So what do you think,
what direction do we take?
what direction do we take?
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Do we allow antimicrobial resistance
to become our biggest killer,
to become our biggest killer,
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at huge financial
and a special personal cost?
and a special personal cost?
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Or do we, besides reducing
human antibiotic consumption,
human antibiotic consumption,
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truly start embracing
antibiotic-free animal production?
antibiotic-free animal production?
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For me, the choice is very obvious.
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But to make this happen,
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we have to set reduction targets
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and make sure that they're followed
all around the world.
all around the world.
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Because farmers compete with each other.
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And at a country level,
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trading block or the global market,
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costs are very important.
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And also, we have to be realistic.
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Farmers need to have the possibilities
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to invest more in better
management and better feed
management and better feed
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in order to achieve this reduction.
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And besides legal limits,
the market can play a role,
the market can play a role,
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by offering antibiotic-reduced
or antibiotic-free products.
or antibiotic-free products.
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And with growing consumer awareness,
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these market forces
will increase in power.
will increase in power.
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Now everything I've been talking about
seems to be great for us.
seems to be great for us.
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But what about the animals?
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Now, guess what,
their lives get better, too.
their lives get better, too.
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Better health, less stress, happier life.
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So now you know.
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We have the knowledge
how to produce meat, eggs and milk
how to produce meat, eggs and milk
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without or with very low
amounts of antibiotics,
amounts of antibiotics,
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and I'll argue it's a small price to pay
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to avoid a future
in which bacterial infections
in which bacterial infections
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again become our biggest killer.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Leon Marchal - Bioprocess engineerLeon Marchal is passionate about discovering more sustainable animal production.
Why you should listen
A bioprocess engineer by education, Leon Marchal obtained his PhD in enzymology from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. For more than 20 years, he has been active in research and product development in different parts of the food and feed industry. Over time, he slowly shifted from food ingredients to animal feed.
Working for many years in northwest Europe and the global forefront of antibiotic reduction and sustainability, Marchal brought his knowledge to DuPont's Nutrition & Biosciences business, where he and his team are working on new solutions for sustainable antibiotic-free animal production.
Leon Marchal | Speaker | TED.com