UNLEASHING THE POTENTIAL OF PLANT
HEALTH
What are the benefits to plant health, and risks
to human health of using manure and
wastewater to fertilize food crops?
How can the risks be mitigated?
Arshnee Moodley, CGIAR AMR Hub Leader
CGIAR International Year of Plant Health Webinar Series
31 March 2021
In celebration of

Antimicrobials and antimicrobial resistance
• Antimicrobials: What are they and why are they important?
– Critical medicines used to treat infections in humans, animals and plants (antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals)
– Increased human life expectancies and allowed for intensification of agriculture (incl.growth promotion)
– Efficacy is compromised by antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
• Antimicrobial resistance: What is it and why we should care?
– Medicines have no killing/curing effect
– Humans: Increase morbidity and mortality, increase health care costs
– Agriculture: Reduce productivity and output, and animal welfare issues
• World Bank estimated that by 2050, global livestock production will fall 3–8% annually, highest decline
in LMICs
• Agriculture is closely linked to food security and livelihoods- the impacts of AMR would be devastating
• Zoonosis:
– spreads from animals to humans and through direct contact or through food, water or the environment
Think Salmonella in eggs or tapeworm in pork
– AMR is the quintessential One Health problem

We live in a complex but connected ecosystem
We are connected by food, water, wildlife
Resistance in humans, animals or the
environment that spreads: intra-sector
and inter-sector
Spread from one country to another

73% of global
use antibiotics
are used in
livestock
↑67% by 2030
mainly in LMICs
Up to 75% of antibiotics
used in aquaculture maybe
lost to environment
30-90% consumed
antibiotics excreted
in urine and faeces-
leeching and manure
contamination?
AMR in wildlife-
reservoirs &
vectors
Antibiotics can
be absorbed by
plants and crops
Crops can
contain
resistant bugs
Unused/expired
antibiotics in
trash –
leeching?
International
travel/ tourism
plays a key role
in spread

Outputs:
Food (milk,eggs, meat)
Urine
Faeces
Biodigestor
Biogas
Bioslurry
Dumped into environment
fertilizer (untreated)
Inputs: feed, water,
antibiotics, other
Collected
by farmers
Consumption
(raw or cooked)
Antibiotic residues + AMR
pathogens, heavy metals,
GHG
Biofuel
Leeching (uncovered
or permeable floor)

What can we do to reduce AMR risks from agriculture to
humans?
Challenges in LMICs
Gaps Evidence
Solutions
Policies
Scaling
Reduce
AMR

THANK YOU