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Community Corner

The Antibiotic Resistance Threat: Evanston Can Make a Difference

Growing up in Evanston, agriculture always seemed to be a world away. However, the consequences of current methods of food production are much more pertinent to us city-dwellers than we might expect. The overuse of antibiotics in livestock operations has led to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which infiltrate our food supply through direct contamination of meat and manure used to fertilize crops. Now, there are an estimated 2 million antibiotic-resistant infections yearly in the US. No one is exempt, regardless of dietary choices or where they live.

There is no quick fix for those already infected, as new antibiotics are not being developed quickly enough to keep up with the resistance. The only solution is to cut off the excessive use of antibiotics at its source, the livestock industry. Unfortunately, attempts to change national and state legislature have been largely unsuccessful, due to extensive agribusiness lobbying. What remains is action at the local level to show widespread support of policies against antibiotic abuse. Food & Water Watch is working city by city to do just this, and Evanston can contribute by passing the Healthy Farms, Healthy Families Resolution. Urge your aldermen to pass this resolution so that our community can contribute to the nationwide demand for safer, healthier food production.

Imagine a world without antibiotics, a world where a simple case of strep throat is deadly. This is where we will end up without immediate intervention. The time to act is now.

Sincerely,

Sophie Kornbluh

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