Antimicrobial stigmatization: Public health concerns about conventional pig farming and pig farmers' experiences with stigmatization

According to the World Health Organization, antimicrobial resistance is one of the most severe threats to public health. Since the 1950's contemporary farming of pigs has been heavily dependent on the use of antibiotics. Recently, concerned experts of public health have become more outspoken, often, criticizing pig farmers for social irresponsibility and gambling with public health. Danish pig farmers are internationally renewed for their relatively low use of antibiotics. Nevertheless, the public criticism aimed at farmers is relatively strong in Denmark. Based on qualitative interviews with 30 pig farmers and 21 public health experts, this article sets out how pig farmers, according to public health experts, threaten public health and how pig farmers, according to the farmers, experience and internalize stigmatization related to their lives as farmers. By focusing on Danish pig farmers' experiencing public condemnation from scientific experts as well as in their local communities, this article proceeds along the line of existing research on health-related stigmatization.