Grass-fed lamb

Grass-fed livestock graze at least half of the pasturage period on semi-natural pastures and, during the winter period, are for the most part raised on roughage, supplemented with some cereal if necessary. Natural pasture livestock graze on land that is never ploughed or harvested. Semi-natural pasture is land that is continuously used for grazing over a long period of time (at least 20-30 years, but often hundreds of years). As a result of the grazing activity, this land has produced very species-rich flora and fauna. The grass that is mowed down by the animals allows insects and butterflies to thrive, which in turn creates excellent conditions for many birds.

All ruminant animals release the greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide during digestion. This includes animals grazing on semi-natural pastures. A large part of all animal production's climate impact comes from land use during feed cultivation, such as ploughing, harrowing and clearing land for feed production. Pasture-based lamb farming results in reduced climate impact from this type of land use, as less cultivated land is required to rear animals that find their own food during much of the year. In addition, land with grass growth all year round leaks significantly less nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen into surrounding waterways. Natural pastures are not suitable for the cultivation of vegetable crops for human consumption. Therefore, it is resource-efficient to produce meat on this type of land and vegetable crops on the better soil.

To increasingly procure grass-fed meat over conventionally produced lamb contributes to better resource management, reduced eutrophication and benefits biodiversity.