Letter to the Editor Outline
Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production Report
*To be submitted as a ‘Letter to the Editor’ of daily newspapers in local markets in response to any
coverage of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production report being released
October 22, 2013 with the John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. It is expected that the Pew report
will focus on antibiotic use in farm animals as a theme. The letter should be tailored to address the angle
reported on by the specific media outlet using the language below.
To the Editor:
In response to your article titled “XXX” about the recent Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal
Production report, I’d be remiss as a local farmer directly involved in food production not to shed more
light for your readers on how we grow and raise food. [ADD 1-2 SENTENCES ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL
STORY. PLEASE SEE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE.] I’ve been farming for XX generations in XX [town]. Not a
day or hour goes by when I’m not constantly thinking about the care I take for the food I produce and
the land where I farm.
[IF ARTICLE REFERS TO ANTIBIOTICS, PLEASE USE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE.]
While the Pew Commission report points to antibiotics as an alarming concern in animal food
production, it’s critical that people understand the real facts. Not all antibiotics are used for all
purposes. Different antibiotics are used to treat different bacteria in animals and humans. For example,
about one-third of the antibiotics used on farms aren’t used in human medicine at all – meaning if
resistance to these antibiotics did develop, it will have little impact on public health. Unfortunately, this
fact is rarely seen in public reports.
Despite popular misperceptions, it’s also a fact that farmers do not constantly treat farm animals with
antibiotics. When they do use antibiotics, they do so according to label and dosing instructions approved
by the FDA and under the care of a veterinarian.
Preventing and controlling the spread of a disease is critical to keeping animals safe and healthy – and to
prevent needless suffering or unsafe conditions. In other words, judiciously used antibiotics
administered with careful oversight by veterinarians keep animals – and, in turn, our food production –
safe and healthy.
[IF ARTICLE POINTS TO ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE, PLEASE ALSO USE THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE AS
APPROPRIATE.]
It’s important to understand that there has been no proven link to antibiotic treatment failure in
humans due to antibiotic use in animals for consumption. Regardless, everyone involved in farm animal
food production – farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, doctors, researchers and companies working in
animal or human medicine – are working together to reduce any risk. I’m proud to be one of these
farmers making a difference.
[IF ARTICLE REFERS TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE AS
APPROPRIATE.]
The Pew report says that little progress has been made in the past five years to better manage
environmental impact. What many people don’t realize is that farmers and ranchers like myself care not
just about the food we raise and grow, but the land on which we do it.
We’re continually adopting new practices to manage water and air quality on our farms, while
conserving resources. In fact, farmers have increased water use efficiency by 28 percent over the last
decade and 49 percent over the last five-to-six years.
Whether we we’re growing healthy crops or caring for animals, farming for the next generations is a
critical part of why we do what we do.