FAO renews MSU designation as Reference Centre on Antimicrobial Resistance and Aquaculture Biosecurity

STARKVILLE, Miss.—The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is redesignating ��ɫ��Ƶ as an FAO Reference Centre on Antimicrobial Resistance and Aquaculture Biosecurity.

The renewal follows FAO’s positive review of MSU’s progress since it was first named an FAO Reference Centre in 2022, and it extends the agreement for a five-year period through October 2031. The university has a long history of leading expertise in the areas of fisheries and aquaculture, working with the FAO in the areas of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, as well as aquaculture biosecurity and aquatic animal health. The center is housed within the university’s Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security, or GCAHFS. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses or other microorganisms evolve to resist treatments such as antibiotics.��

MSU President Mark E. Keenum said he looks forward to the university continuing this important work.

“With this renewal, our university will continue to provide the scientific expertise and technical competencies needed to strengthen capacity development efforts that support FAO’s work in promoting the responsible use of antimicrobials in aquaculture and reducing the risks associated with antimicrobial resistance. ��ɫ��Ƶ also will continue to support FAO’s efforts to advance responsible aquaculture practices and strengthen aquaculture biosecurity worldwide,” Keenum said.

��ɫ��Ƶ Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw, center of panel and screen, gives remarks at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, today [Sept. 22] as part of an agri-food systems conference. The university’s ongoing partnership with FAO is continuing with MSU’s redesignation as an FAO Reference Centre on Antimicrobial Resistance and Aquaculture Biosecurity. (Photo submitted)

MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw and other MSU leaders met with officials at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, today [Sept. 22] to discuss building more resilient food systems as part of a broader agri-food systems conference.

“Issues related to food security, animal health, environmental stewardship and human well-being are often deeply interconnected, even when we attempt to address them separately. Aquatic food systems provide a particularly compelling example of those connections,” Shaw said. “��ɫ��Ƶ’s experience in aquaculture, veterinary medicine and international food-security initiatives has reinforced that reality repeatedly and has demonstrated why collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches are essential.”

Shaw said addressing antimicrobial resistance requires collaboration across disciplines and sectors, requiring scientists, veterinarians, producers, policymakers, regulators, environmental specialists and public health experts working together. As a land-grant university, ��ɫ��Ƶ believes strongly that universities have a responsibility not only to generate knowledge, but also to connect expertise across disciplines and translate that knowledge into practical solutions.

“In many ways, antimicrobial resistance reminds us that complex challenges require integrated approaches. This challenge is one reason ��ɫ��Ƶ is proud to serve as an FAO Reference Centre on Antimicrobial Resistance and Aquaculture Biosecurity. The partnership highlights an important lesson: the most effective response to disease is often prevention,” he said.

��MSU’s Stephen Reichley, FAO Reference Centre head and GCAHFS associate director, said the redesignation recognizes the university’s continuing contributions at the intersection of aquatic animal health, antimicrobial stewardship, aquaculture biosecurity, food security and One Health. The work also reinforces MSU’s role in supporting both the U.S. aquaculture sector and international efforts to build sustainable, biosecure aquatic food systems.

“This five-year redesignation reflects FAO’s continued confidence in ��ɫ��Ƶ and, more importantly, gives us another opportunity to put our university’s expertise to work addressing challenges that affect producers and food systems around the world,” Reichley said. “By connecting research, diagnostics, education and extension, we can help prevent aquatic animal disease, promote responsible antimicrobial use, and strengthen aquaculture biosecurity from Mississippi to the global level.”

During the first designation period, MSU made significant contributions to FAO’s mission of providing authoritative advice to its members, including reporting 47 scientific papers on AMR and aquatic biosecurity, as well as 139 presentations and more than 30 research projects contributing to understanding AMR in aquatic environments and advancing aquaculture biosecurity. Ongoing workshops are listed among .

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