Framing the agricultural use of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance in UK national newspapers and the farming press. (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Morris, Carol; Helliwell, Richard; Raman, Sujatha
• Is Part Of: Journal of rural studies. Volume 45(2016)
• Page Start: 43
• Page End: 53
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: Antibiotics -- Agriculture -- Antimicrobial resistance -- Frames -- Animal health; Sociology, Rural -- Periodicals; Country life -- Periodicals; Rural development -- Periodicals; Land use, Rural -- Planning -- Periodicals; Rural conditions -- Periodicals; Sociologie rurale -- Périodiques; Vie rurale -- Périodiques; Développement rural -- Périodiques; Sol, Utilisation agricole du -- Planification -- Périodiques; Conditions rurales -- Périodiques; Country life; Land use, Rural -- Planning; Rural conditions; Rural development; Sociology, Rural; Periodicals; 307.72
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.03.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0743-0167

Abstract

Abstract: Despite links to animal disease governance, food and biosecurity, rural studies has neglected consideration of how actors make sense of the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture and the implications for animal and human health. As antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a high-profile problem, the contribution of animal antibiotics is frequently mentioned in scientific and policy documents but how different agricultural actors interpret its significance is less clear. This paper offers the first social scientific investigation of contestation and consensus surrounding the use of antibiotics in agriculture and their implications for AMR as mediated through mainstream news-media and farming print media in the UK. Frame analysis of four national newspapers and one farming paper reveals three distinct frames. A 'system failure' frame is the most frequently occurring and positions intensive livestock production systems as a key contributor to AMR-related crises in human health. A 'maintaining the status quo' frame argues that there is no evidence linking antibiotics in farming to AMR in humans and stresses the necessity of (some) antibiotic use for animal health. A third frame – which is only present in the farming media – highlights a need for voluntary, industry-led action on animal antibiotic use in terms of farmer self-interest. Common to all frames is that the relationship between agricultural use of antibiotics and problems posed by AMR is mostly discussed in terms of the implications for human health as opposed to both human and animal health. Highlights: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a high profile issue. Role of agricultural antibiotics in AMR is unsettled. Social scientists have neglected agriculture in study of AMR. News and farming media analysis shows conflicting frames of farm-AMR link. Frames focus on implications of AMR for human health as opposed to both human and animal health.