“Take care of the people instead of the critters” is an argument that is tried again and again in order not to have to deal with the subject of animal rights. Many factors speak a clear language for the connection between animal and human rights activism. Enormous cultivation areas are required to feed the approximately 80,000,000,000 farm animals, which are preferably planted in rainforest areas, for which the corresponding forests and people have to give way, with all the known consequences. In addition, it is extremely inefficient to pass high-quality food through the animal before it is given to humans. Around 80% of the nutritional values are lost in this way. With a purely plant-based diet, no child in the world would have to die of hunger anymore. So, the connection is not that difficult to find. Another is the administration of antibiotics to animals whose bodies are eaten and antibiotic resistance and the formation of multi-resistant germs.

This is due to the fact that around 80% of antibiotics worldwide are used in the animal exploitation industry. This is necessary because otherwise the animals in the mass stalls would not even survive the short period of time between birth and slaughter. This means that the antibiotics are given to all animals as a prophylactic measure. The tightness, the constant contact with one’s own feces, the weak immune system, form an ideal breeding ground for all kinds of germs. If an individual does become sick, there is a good chance that everyone else will also be infected. We’re talking about thousands of animals. Profit would be lost. But what is the result of this antibiotic administration? The results of the surveys by civil society organizations speak for themselves:

• “Result of a sample published by Deutsche Umwelthilfe in August 2021 on turkey meat at housing level 2 (stable plus): ‚Every third turkey meat sample from Lidl and every fourth sample from Aldi was contaminated with antibiotic-resistant germs. On every fourth Lidl turkey meat sample (26 percent), the laboratory even found particularly harmful pathogens that are resistant to the reserve antibiotics [CIA HP], which are important for humans. ‘(Deutsche Umwelthilfe 2021)
• Result of a study published by Germanwatch in October 2020: ‚More than every second chicken meat sample (on average 51 percent) from the three largest poultry companies in Europe is exposed to resistance to one or even to several antibiotics at the same time. On average, more than every third chicken (35 percent) even brings antibiotic-resistant pathogens with resistance to emergency antibiotics (reserve antibiotics) [CIA HP] into the food chain.‘(Germanwatch 2020)“ 1

This result is extremely alarming. It means that it is entirely possible for people to die of simple infectious diseases that we have already overcome. Now, following the recommendations of the WHO, the EU has presented a draft law that provides for the prohibition of the use of antibiotics in so-called livestock farming, especially those of the reserve antibiotics, the last emergency anchor, if nothing else helps. Mind you, the area-wide application that affects the animal factories. What would that mean, would it apply? It would deal the death blow to intensive livestock farming. In addition, the pharmaceutical industry would lose a billion-dollar business. It is about a loss of profit in the billions. That is why the EU immediately mobilized against this initiative. Of course, not by saying that we want to be allowed to torture the animals in the same way and we don’t want to lose our profits, but in a perfidious and mendacious way. The petition[2], supported by veterinarians, told people that their beloved pets would no longer be given antibiotics either. It is deliberately played with emotions, as can be seen from the cover picture taken from the petition. All other aspects are not even mentioned. Everyone can decide for themselves why this is the case. However, it is obvious that once again the maintenance of the status quo of animal torture and profit maximization should be maintained. A first step towards putting an end to this game with all of our lives, both humans and animals, would be a plant-based diet. This would make it possible to contain antibiotic resistance and multi-resistant germs, as well as new pandemics, with little effort. Anyone who is seriously interested in animal and human protection lives vegan. [3]

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[1]1 vgl. Reinhild Benning u.a., Hähnchenfleisch im Test auf Resistenzen gegen Reserveantibiotika, S. 11

[2] vgl. https://www.change.org/p/europ%C3%A4ische-parlament-eu-will-weitreichendes-antibiotikaverbot-f%C3%BCr-tiere-gefahr-f%C3%BCr-unsere-tiere

[3] vgl. https://germanwatch.org/sites/default/files/germanwatch_antibiotika_in_der_tierhaltung_fakten_zur_aktuellen_kontroverse.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2f8PUesVIW8IKIvCBP9qdP8d-vMb5uTtZd1sTZcw_w67jAC5CALsGCJ5E