The premise of the project is that, as well as providing better surveillance information for AMR and antimicrobial usage (AMU), FARMS-SAFE’s support for Argentina and other Latin American countries will consider a risk-based approach to the design of regulation as well as the strengthening of enforcement capacities; weakness of these capacities is another source of risk.

FARMS-SAFE will address this issue by exploring four key risk areas via an UK/Argentinian research consortium:

1. Animal disease as a driver of AMR risk - the project will identify why farmers use antibiotics in the context of animal disease. 

2. Animal husbandry practice as a driver of AMR risk - the project will identify what farm management practices are being employed that influence the usage of antibiotics and will perform surveillance of the usage of antibiotics on farms in Argentina.

3. Farm waste management as a driver of AMR risk. The team will perform surveillance of AMR bacteria with clear potential to affect human health on farms and in the near-farm environment and will measure the levels of antibiotics and other chemicals in the near-farm environment. The team will correlate AMR with AMU and will identify management risk factors for AMR and antibiotic contamination in the environment.

4. Regulatory capacity as a driver of AMR risk. The project will identify the key individuals and organisations involved in regulation of AMR and work with them to develop tools that can be used to regulate in a way that is informed by the risks that drive AMR.