there are few people alive today who can remember a time without antibiotics. ever since alexander fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, we’ve relied on antibiotics to save us from all sorts of dangerous bacterial infections. a professor at the milken institute school of public health at the george washington university with a ph.d. in environmental health sciences from johns hopkins university, price warns that we might be losing the power of these life-saving drugs.

we’re already seeing the ramifications of antibiotic resistance. the centers for disease control reports that every year at least 2 million people in the united states become sick with infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria — infections that kill 23,000 americans each year.

this is a problem. and according to price, the solution is on your plate.

antibiotics are used in food animals for three different reasons: to treat sick animals (therapeutic use), to prevent the spread of infections (preventive or control use), and to promote growth and production in food animals. few people argue against therapeutic use; even price agrees that drugs are needed to treat infections. but as much as 70 percent of all antibiotics sold in the united states end up going to healthy animals.

defenders of large-scale antibiotic use in food animals say that restricting the use of antibiotics in the agricultural industry would make it harder for veterinarians and farmers to do their jobs. it could limit veterinarians’ ability to treat sick animals, and make it harder for food distributor’s to ensure food safety in the meat we feed to our families.

thankfully, consumers have the ability to make their own decisions about antibiotic use in food production, and act on these decisions in their daily lives.

consumers can make a difference. we’re already seeing the power of supply and demand first hand; walmart, the icon of big food business, began offering organic food at affordable prices when the retailer teamed up with wild oats earlier this year.

here’s what concerned consumers can do:

• look for “organic” and “antibiotic free” labels in the grocery store.
• talk to distributors at your local farmers market. ask how they use antibiotics on their farm.
• don’t be afraid to ask restaurants where their food comes from. restaurants are in the service industry — let suppliers know that there is a demand for sustainable food.
• use the hashtag #stopsuperbugs to join the conversation on social media.