American Feed Industry concerned about ban on AGP

AFIA’s government affairs consultant Steve Kopperud of Policy Directions Inc. prepared the letter in response to challenges to the use of antimicrobials in US animal production by several groups that claim it is a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance in humans.

 

This letter  provides the administration with some substantiated data and requests continued, open dialogue with FDA officials on this critical issue.

 

In the key conclusion of the letter AFIA states that “When all is said and done, US farmers and ranchers – and most consumers – are more confident knowing animal health care, assistance and advice are provided by veterinarians and animal scientists, not by PhD issue advocates or animal rights activists.”

 

In convincing the Federal Drug Agency (FDA) AFIA concludes the FDA “has always been an agency which makes regulatory decisions based on science and over time has done an exemplary job of standing apart from political battles.

 

“Since his inauguration, President Obama’s repeated pledge to base his Administration’s regulatory decisions on “the best available science” and “the rule of law” gives us confidence the Administration will not embrace an ill-advised, politically motivated call to curb on-farm uses of antibiotics.”