New report flips the script on meat and dairy: They can be part of the solution – if the farming's right

A new report from the Sustainable Food Trust challenges the current orthodoxy that meat and dairy products from cattle and sheep are always part of the problem for climate and health. Instead, it argues that grass-fed cows and sheep can be a vital part of the solution – if we change the way we farm and shift away from intensively farmed animal products. 

Commenting on the new report, Lord Deben, former Chair of the UK Climate Change Committee, said, "I believe this report could help to resolve some of the not inconsiderable public confusion about the impact on climate change of ruminant animals in general and cows in particular. This confusion has led to a widespread view that all cattle are unsustainable, but it doesn't have to be this way – providing we farm and eat differently."

While headlines often present all meat and dairy in the same negative light, Grazing Livestock: It's not the cow but the how highlights the environmental and nutritional benefits of food produced from animals raised on pasture, without synthetic fertilisers or chemical inputs. Able to thrive on a diet of grassland plants that humans cannot consume, these animals play a crucial role in supporting biodiversity, building healthy soils, locking carbon in the ground, and sustaining rural communities – all while producing nutrient-rich food.

As momentum builds for a more sustainable farming sector, Grazing Livestock presents compelling evidence for the essential role of livestock in this transition. Regenerative farming systems – those that support the health of both people and planet – depend on crop rotations with grasses and legumes that naturally improve soil health. Cows and sheep can convert grasses, which are inedible to humans, into highly nutritious foods and, in doing so, make a vital contribution to the UK's food security.

This approach to livestock production is in clear opposition to intensive, grain-fed livestock systems, which often rely on fragile global supply chains, imported feed and chemical inputs. Yet the crucial differences between these systems are frequently overlooked in policymaking, finance and consumer choices.

"This report clearly demonstrates the need to differentiate between livestock that are part of the problem and those that are an essential part of the solution. In other words, it's not the cow, it's the how!" said Patrick Holden, founder and CEO of the Sustainable Food Trust. "The debate over whether we should eat meat and dairy has become unnecessarily polarised. People have been led to believe that all meat is bad, but what really matters is how the food has been produced – and whether that farming system supports or undermines the health of people and the planet."

A tale of two systems

Grazing Livestock sets out a vivid comparison between industrial livestock systems and regenerative, grass-based systems rooted in nature. While these can be lower-yielding, cattle and sheep raised on pasture deliver multiple benefits from the same area of land – for the environment, public health and animal welfare.

The report presents evidence that animals raised on pasture produce food with a superior nutritional profile to their grain-fed counterparts – a factor that must be considered alongside yield. Based on the SFT's modelling, cattle and sheep reared largely off pasture could supply UK citizens with a large proportion of various key nutrients, many of which are more difficult to source from plants, including up to 98% of our vitamin B12, 55% of our calcium, 37% of our fat and 30% of our protein needs.

While livestock can play a valuable role in healthier diets, they are often criticised for their greenhouse gas emissions. However, the SFT argues that a more holistic assessment – one that includes carbon sequestration and broader sustainability indicators – shows they can be central to a food system that supports climate targets, nature recovery and public health. Realising this vision will require a shift towards lower-input, pasture-based farming and diets that feature smaller amounts of high-quality meat and dairy.

In his foreword for the report, Lord Deben writes, "In my [...] role as Chairman of the UK Climate Change Committee, I have had to face up to the negative impacts of livestock on greenhouse gas emissions, including those from intensively managed poultry, pigs and cattle. However, what few seem to understand is that there is a need to differentiate between those livestock systems which are part of the problem in terms of net emissions, and those which, under the correct management, are potentially part of the solution."

A five-point plan for change

Following the release of the new report, the Sustainable Food Trust is calling for a five-point action plan. It recommends that:

Government should set up a cross-Government taskforce, including Defra, the Department of Health and the Treasury, to drive the transition to regenerative food and farming systems that help to achieve health, growth, food security, poverty, climate and nature objectives.

Businesses, including food companies and retailers, need to co-finance the agricultural transition, because the government hasn't got enough money to do so single-handedly.

Defra must adopt a common on-farm measurement framework to assess the sustainability and social impacts of farming systems, in order to create a foundation of data to help drive progress on regenerative agriculture and ensure responsible use of public money.

All foods should have a sustainability label linked to the on-farm measurement framework to empower consumers to make informed choices and to drive change through their buying power.

Food supply chains must be relocalised to support regenerative livestock production, as it is impossible to ensure high animal welfare, provenance and integrity, without local abattoirs and regional processing facilities.