Livestock farming is one of the most important sectors of the European economy, providing food, income, and employment for millions of people.
However, it also has significant environmental and social impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions, land use change, biodiversity loss, and animal welfare issues.
Grass over grains
Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images
Cattle diets usually include a variety of grains, such as maize, soybean, and wheat, which make the animals grow faster and - by extension - their meat and milk cheaper.
However, the practice has hefty environmental and social costs.
The grains are often imported from far-away countries like Brazil, meaning long transport routes and higher maritime emissions.
Many of these crops are also cultivated on land created by cutting down parts of tropical forests, contributing to climate change by releasing carbon dioxide stored in trees and causing biodiversity loss.
In addition, by serving as animal feed, such grains cut into much-needed supplies of food for people worldwide.
A further concern for many people in Europe is that the grains, when they're maize, are frequently genetically modified.
A research project funded by the EU is drawing inspiration from some beef producers in the UK who have switched to 100% grass-fed cows.
The farmers have also created a special meat and dairy label to inform consumers of the production method and its health benefits, which include lower fat and higher vitamin levels.
"A 100% pasture-fed method is challenging," said Laurence Smith, a former farmer who is now a food-systems researcher at the University of Reading in the UK and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. "But it's potentially quite a sustainable system."
Smith coordinates the EU project, which is called PATHWAYS, and promotes more sustainable agricultural practices including pasture-based farming.
It runs for five years until the end of August 2026.
Like the UK producers, participating German, Italian, and Swedish livestock farmers are feeding some of their cows grass-based diets, albeit with some concentrates.
The practice has other environmental benefits: grazing animals return nutrients to the soil through feces and urine and such pastures can absorb CO2 from the atmosphere by having trees - a form of agroforestry known as silvopasture.
But a central question is whether feeding cows mainly or only grass offers farmers themselves advantages, without which any broad take-up of the method is unlikely.
In principle, the practice could help farmers sell their products at a premium price, which would result in more earnings per kilogram of meat.
The key is for consumers to be willing to pay higher prices in return for health and environmental benefits and even for local economic gains.
The PATHWAYS project aims to assess the economic viability and consumer acceptance of pasture-based livestock farming in different European contexts.
It also seeks to identify and support innovative practices that can improve the productivity and resilience of grassland systems.
"Some farmers are pushing the boundaries in terms of making innovations," said Smith.
For example, some Swedish farmers are experimenting with different breeds of cattle that can cope better with harsh weather conditions and produce high-quality meat from grass.
Some Italian farmers are using mobile milking parlors that allow them to move their cows around different pastures without having to transport them to a fixed location.
Meanwhile, some German farmers are integrating solar panels into their pastures to generate renewable energy while providing shade for their animals.
The project also involves researchers from Greece, where livestock farming faces different challenges due to climate change, water scarcity, and land degradation.
The Greek team is working with goat and poultry farmers who use traditional grazing methods that have low environmental impacts but also low productivity.
The researchers are helping them adopt more efficient practices that can increase their income while preserving natural resources.
The PATHWAYS project hopes to inspire more livestock farmers across Europe to adopt greener agriculture methods that can benefit both people and the planet.
By feeding their cows mainly or only grass, they can reduce their dependence on imported feed, lower their greenhouse gas emissions, enhance their soil quality, improve their animal welfare, and offer healthier products to consumers.
As Smith said: "We want to show that there are alternative ways of producing food that can be more sustainable in the long term."
