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Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Academic advocates user fees for agricultural antibiotics

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

University of Calgary economics professor Aidan Hollis sees user fees for the non-human use of antibiotics as a way to stop dangerous overuse.

Hollis and co-author Ziana Ahmed argue in a paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine that the "promiscuous" use of antibiotics is leading to antimicrobial resistance, which could seriously threaten human health.

Their research shows agriculture accounting for 80 per cent of annual antibiotic use in the United States. Hollis told The Poultry Site that many applications are "low-value" – designed to increase productivity, but resulting in marginal profits. "The real value of antibiotics is saving people from dying," Hollis says. "Everything else is trivial."

Rather than advocating an all-out ban on agricultural antibiotics, which would stress some farmers and drive up food prices, Hollis argues for a user fee that would deter indiscriminate use. BF

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January 2026

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Ag community wanted for cover crop survey

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Researchers from Manitoba and Ontario are looking for members of ag communities from Alberta to Ontario to participate in a questionnaire about cover crops. The confidential survey is open to any farm type and size whether the operation has ever grown cover crops. “We don’t just want... Read this article online

Ontario Prairies Cover Crop Survey Launch

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

As cover crop use continues to expand across Ontario and the Prairie provinces, a new survey has been launched to better understand how these practices arechanging onfarms. The survey aims to collect valuable information about how cover crops are being used, what benefits they provide, and... Read this article online

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