Researchers explore the assumptions underlying the common farming view in England that you can only grow grass in certain regions, contributing to a limitation of livestock production. By unsettling this narrative, the article argues that policymakers can enable a transition to diverse and sustainable food production in England’s grasslands. 

The paper explores to what extent ruminant farming can enhance and preserve biodiversity, and calculates what would be an equivalent level of consumption. It found that with biodiverse-friendly grazing production, an average person could consume 2.2kg of milk per year and 0.8 kg of red meat. 

This report by Rothamsted Research provides evidence on the impact of grazing management on a range of outcomes as well as on the importance of field scale, long-term research. It seeks to provide more rigorous assessment of livestock grazing practices which are usually reported as having positive economic and environmental outcomes but which often rely on anecdotal reports. It provides detailed data comparisons of the two systems related to system productivity, soil structure and health, environmental impacts, pasture growth and use and animal behaviour and performance, which may be valuable to growers and researchers exploring the impact of different livestock grazing management systems.