The emergence of antimicrobial resistance is a seminally important public health concern. Significant progress has been made in recent years regarding an understanding of the genetic and biochemical basis for antimicrobial resistance, the emergence of resistance genes, and factors promoting their widespread dissemination including the role of lateral gene transfer. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of information regarding the key ‘hotspots’ and genetic mechanisms responsible for resistance development, and the exposure routes leading to the failure of antimicrobial agents important in human and animal medicine. There is thus an urgent need for research to provide governments, public health stakeholders, and the agricultural sector the knowledge required to develop policies and practices that effectively mitigate resistance development. This, within a growing recognition that humans, animals and the environment must be considered as intimately linked together if any resistance management strategy is to be successful. Livestock are in close contact with soil and water, natural reservoirs of microbiota harbouring resistance genes. In turn, the use of manures as fertilizers for crop production is a potentially important source for environmental contamination of resistance genes selected for and enriched in the animal. A better understanding of the significance of animal and environmental reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance, and factors leading to the emergence and dissemination of antibioticresistant bacteria in agricultural production systems is a priority. The ARAE symposium, created by scientists from INRAE, is organized since 2005. Since the first edition in Lyon, ARAE has been a great success with many scientists from all over the world still participating in this symposium which is now in its ninth edition.