PhD 4 Evaluating the agricultural practices and the regulatory environment that governs antimicrobial use in Ireland.       

This project plays an integral role in the RESIST-AMR research programme by investigating agricultural stakeholders’ practices and policies in antimicrobial use on farms in Ireland and identifying institutional reform implications. Although there is national data available regarding sales of antimicrobials, it is unclear how these antimicrobials are used on the farm-level. This highlights a gap in knowledge with regards to decision making on farms around antimicrobial usage. We aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of decision making on farms in order to contribute to solution focused policy and practice options. To achieve this aim, we will use various methodological approaches:

• analysing survey data on social and economic factors that influence the motivations and attitudes of farmers in Ireland towards the use of antimicrobials on their farms

• an extensive analysis of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, TCD (TILDA) dataset will be performed, with an emphasis on participants from farming backgrounds

• conducting a panel study on a range of farm types over 2 years which will track decision making on antimicrobial use and document the kinds of changes farmers are willing to make

• mapping the policies regulating antimicrobial use in agriculture at the Irish, EU, and global levels to better understand the regulatory environment that farmers navigate and identify actors at the Irish level who are integral to creating and implementing these policies and understand how they engage with farmers.

• engagement with key stakeholders that implement antimicrobials (vets, agri-business) to farmers, and the regulators and policy makers responsible for promoting safe and responsible use of antimicrobials on farms

By utilizing multiple methods, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of decision-making on farms which will inform the development of specific actionable policy options. By involving key stakeholders, such as farmers, vets, and Teagasc collaborators, throughout the entire project we aim to incorporate their needs and perspectives into the research and be able to create solutions which are acceptable, feasible, and can be directly implemented. This engagement with key stakeholders is also integral for the entire RESIST-AMR project by bringing the results of the other projects directly to those involved, in a way which is contextualized as a result of specific practices, beliefs, and regulations.