Pilot Project to Reduce Veterinary Antibiotics in Agricultural Environment
Authors: Laurence Auger, Linda Saucier, Grant W. Vandenberg, Antony T. Vincent et Marie-Hélène Deschamps, Département des sciences animales, Université Laval
Marie-Lou Gaucher et Alexandre Thibodeau Chaire de recherche en salubrité des viandes, Université de Montréal
Antibiotics play a critical role in preventing and treating diseases in livestock. However, a proportion of these drugs are excreted in animal manure and may enter the environment following land application. This contributes to the spread of antibiotic residues and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, posing significant challenges to public health, environmental sustainability, and the agricultural economy.
In Canada, most animal manure is treated little or not at all before being recycled as an agricultural fertilizer. Although methods such as composting can reduce the concentration of certain antibiotics, their effectiveness varies, and they do not always substantially reduce the presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.
To address this challenge, researchers from CRIPA are investigating the use of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) to convert contaminated manure into protein-rich biomass and fertilizer. This bioconversion process could reduce several antibiotic residues while generating value-added products. Although some compounds may remain difficult to eliminate, this approach offers a promising on-farm solution for manure management and reducing the environmental footprint of livestock production.
To read the full research article please visit: https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14070665
Auger, L.; Saucier, L.; Gaucher, M.-L.; Vandenberg, G.W.; Vincent, A.T.; Thibodeau, A.; Deschamps, M.-H. Use, Risk and Revalorization of Veterinary Antibiotics: A Canadian Perspective. Antibiotics 2025, 14, 665.
Short article also published in La Terre de Chez Nous, (in French), May 1st, 2026 https://www.laterre.ca/chroniques/page-de-conseils/reduire-les-antibiotiques-veterinaires-dans-lenvironnement-agricole/
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