WASHINGTON (April 2, 2025) — The Antibiotic Resistance Action Center (ARAC) at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health is pleased to announce the first adopter of its Certified Responsible Antibiotic Use (CRAU) Beef Standard. Fischer Farms, a forward-looking, family-owned beef company in Indiana, has successfully completed a USDA AMS on-site audit to become the first beef producer approved to market its products under the CRAU label.
For many years, scientists, medical associations, public interest organizations, business leaders and consumers have called for livestock production that reduces antibiotic use and preserves the future efficacy of these life-saving medicines. Now producers and consumers alike have a path forward to beef produced in ways that are better for cattle, antibiotic stewardship, and public health.
“There’s no question that beef producers can and must improve animal husbandry and optimize cattle health while reducing the need for antibiotics and minimizing the potential for antibiotic resistance,” said Lance B. Price, founder of ARAC. “ARAC promotes the CRAU beef standard to help ensure that antibiotics remain effective for treating sick people and animals, not for propping up overcrowded and unsanitary production systems.”
The Fischer Farms home farm was established in the 1860s and now covers 750 contiguous acres, all focused on producing top-quality, naturally-raised beef cattle.
“We are happy to be the first adopters of the CRAU standard,” said Joseph Fischer, Fischer Farms Sales Manager and QSA Program Manager.” The CRAU beef standard provides clear guidelines for responsible antibiotic use and the documentation required to be certified. Our goal is to make the CRAU standard a trustworthy certification that consumers seek when they make purchasing decisions and farmers strive to incorporate into their production practices.”
Many people are beginning to understand that antibiotic resistance is a significant health concern, killing 1.27 million people every year. Fewer people know of the intersection between antibiotic resistance and climate change. Recent research shows that increased temperatures raise both the bacterial growth rate and the spread of antibiotic-resistant genes in the environment.
“We are proud that our home farm is the first to adopt CRAU beef,” said Dave Fischer, Director, Ultimate Beef Project, Fischer Farms Natural Foods LLC. “We’re helping many other small farmers in our region to adopt the CRAU standard. We’re also showing them exciting connections between antibiotic stewardship and pasture practices that reduce antibiotic use while increasing the economic and environmental sustainability of our family farms.”
With the introduction of CRAU Beef into the marketplace, ARAC urges beef producers of all scales and their customers to incorporate this Standard into production and purchasing decisions. ARAC encourages other producers to enter the CRAU Beef program as early as feasible, and to continually improve their antibiotic reduction strategies to move from CRAU Bronze to Silver and ultimately to Gold level practices.
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