Meeting on Antibiotic Resistance in Brussels

Axfoundation’s work for reduced use of antibiotics has entered a new stage. On September 8, 2016, Axfoundation arranged a meeting in the European Parliament during which experts and interest groups discussed problems of antibiotic resistance, including the path forward to reduce the use of antibiotics in food production. The meeting was organized with the Liberals and Democrats Group and the Swedish Center Party, and is part of a high-level meeting in the European Parliament by the UN General Assembly as the host.

Axfoundation has worked with the issue of antibiotics for years. Together with Axfood (owners of supermarket chains Hemköp and Willys), Martin & Servera and some of the best experts on antibiotics and animal welfare, a list of criteria to be used when dealing with suppliers has been developed. In February 2016 members of the retail trade association Svensk Dagligvaruhandel agreed on a mutual position to reduce the use of antibiotics in food production.

To gradually intensify the work for a transformative change within the whole food industry is necessary if the threat regarding antibiotic resistance is to be averted. Axfoundation’s meeting in Brussels was an important milestone in the work of spreading the Swedish criteria internationally.

Pictured above: Carolina Sachs (Axfoundation), Christina Greko (National Veterinary Institute of Sweden) and Axfood’s sustainability director Åsa Domeij outside the EU Parliament, just before the antibiotics meeting.

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