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Intensification of food animal production has prioritised productivity through high-input systems that depend on commercial feed and external chemical inputs. While increasing food production, these systems are disease prone, necessitating a routine dependence on antibiotics. These antibiotics — often medically important, including some last resort ones — are used for disease prevention and growth promotion as an alternative to ‘real’ prevention. This is in addition to their therapeutic applications. Such chemical-intensive approach has several public health and environmental implications such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), risk of zoonotic diseases, while also being sources of greenhouse gas emissions and negatively impacting biodiversity.
Nature-based solutions can offer a pathway to maintain productivity while attaining sustainability in such systems. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, nature-based solutions are those that ‘leverage nature and the power of healthy ecosystems to protect people, optimise infrastructure and safeguard a stable and biodiverse future’. These solutions are believed to help address global challenges such as climate change, human health, food and water security, natural disasters and biodiversity loss. Localised solutions from India showing potential to address antibiotic use and AMR concerns in livestock fit well into this narrative
One example is the use of ethnoveterinary medicines (EVM) in the Indian dairy sector. Herbal formulations (based on ingredients such as aloe vera, turmeric and lime) have been systematically researched and promoted for managing common ailments in dairy sector like mastitis. With research from the Trans-Disciplinary University, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has led its translation into large-scale implementation through dairy cooperatives. Today there is a substantial body of on-ground evidence generated with cure rates exceeding 80 per cent across hundreds of thousands of cases, while simultaneously reducing veterinary costs, antibiotic consumption and milk rejection due to residues. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of AYUSH are taking initiatives to promote EVM through research, training and education. Under NDDB’s Dairy Integrated Safety and Health Action (DISHA) project launched in 2025-2026, farmer awareness programmes on EVM, AMR, and responsible antibiotic use in dairy farming are being organized at dairy cooperative levels. EVM also is advocated strongly in India’s National Action Plan on AMR 2.0 for phasing out non-therapeutic antibiotic use in livestock and aquaculture.
A second example comes from the Indian backyard and rural poultry systems that rely on resilient native and improved breeds adapted to local environments. These breeds are naturally hardy and disease resilient, requiring lesser preventative use of antibiotics on a routine basis. They also require fewer external inputs, are better suited to free-range conditions and provide nutritious eggs and meat while strengthening rural livelihoods.
There are presently 21 native chicken breeds from different parts of India, registered with the ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources. ICAR led All India Coordinated Research Project on Poultry Breeding, the National Livestock Mission, several state governments, state agricultural universities and private players continue to develop and promote improved breeds that retain the traits of native breed while improving productivity (weight gain, eggs etc) or select characteristics (better growth rate, heat dissipation etc). In 2025, CSE looked at the key challenges, opportunities and select case studies related to scaling up backyard and rural poultry systems.
There is no single answer to the AMR problem. One way is to rethink and redesign food systems to become healthier and more resilient. Such science-backed, institutionally supported nature based solutions, when scaled up, can contribute to addressing not just the AMR concern, but also provide co-benefits like improved farmer livelihood, better nutrition and safer food in the long term.