WalesLink.com
Connecting the World to Wales
Why Welsh Grass-Fed Farming Must Be Defended Against Misleading Global Food Reports
In recent years, a growing chorus of global institutions — from the UN to the EU and the World Economic Forum — have shaped food policy based on the now-famous Poore and Nemecek (2018) study on food’s environmental impacts. While the study has merit in its scale, its application to Welsh farming is scientifically flawed and politically dangerous.
This report, and the policies it fuels, are helping drive a narrative that livestock farming is inherently unsustainable. But here in Wales, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.
Welsh Grass-Fed Farming: A Low-Impact, High-Nutrient System
The vast majority of Welsh cattle and sheep are raised on permanent pasture — land that is unsuitable for cropping but perfectly adapted to ruminant grazing. This means we produce high-quality, nutrient-dense food without the need for imported feed, synthetic fertilisers, or land-use change.
Unlike feedlot systems or grain-fed livestock, Welsh livestock farming:
- Utilises land that cannot be used to grow crops
- Supports biodiversity and soil health
- Avoids the deforestation or monocultures seen in intensive systems
- Contributes to rural economies and cultural landscapes
The Flaws in the Poore and Nemecek Study
The Poore and Nemecek study, widely cited in sustainability debates, draws conclusions from data across 38,000 farms in 119 countries. However, it treats all systems equally, ignoring massive regional variation in efficiency, land use, and emissions. For example:
- Namibia, with dry, low-yielding pasture, is treated the same as high-efficiency producers like New Zealand or Wales
- The study includes byproduct animal feed as if it were land-hungry, skewing land use numbers
- It assumes grazing land could be converted to crops — which is not true for the majority of Welsh hills and uplands
These assumptions unfairly inflate the environmental footprint of pasture-based meat, misleading policymakers and the public alike.
The Role of the Welsh Government: Time to Lead, Not Follow
Given the proven environmental efficiency of grass-fed Welsh livestock farming, it is deeply concerning that the Welsh Government has shown little resistance to global narratives that marginalise livestock. Instead, it appears to be aligning itself with one-size-fits-all policies that ignore local realities.
If the goal is a genuinely sustainable food system, then Wales should be producing more — not less — high-quality pasture-fed meat. Why?
- It can displace higher-emission beef from less efficient systems abroad
- It delivers better food security and economic resilience for Wales
- It plays to Wales’ natural strengths in climate, land, and heritage farming knowledge
Sustainability Should Be Science-Based — Not Ideologically Driven
The Welsh Government must resist the urge to blindly adopt global policy trends that don’t reflect the science of what works here in Wales. Scientific nuance matters. . And so does the future of our rural communities.
We call on ministers to:
- Defend Welsh livestock farmers in public and policy arenas
- Challenge flawed studies when they misrepresent our systems
- Lead on food policy that leverages the environmental logic of pasture-based production
Our Conclusion
Welsh farming isn’t the environmental problem — it’s part of the global solution. But it requires a government willing to say so, back it, and invest in it. Welsh grass-fed livestock farming is among the most sustainable in the world. Wales must lead with science and champion its low-impact food systems.
Let’s get this right. For the land. For the food. For the future of rural Wales.
