How livestock grazing is benefiting the planet | Letters

Readers respond to George Monbiot's article about the damage caused by organic, pasture-fed beef and lambGeorge Monbiot (The most damaging farm products? Organic, pasture-fed beef and lamb, 16 August) cites a meta-analysis showing that "when livestock are removed from the land, the abundance and diversity of almost all groups of wild animals increases?. But the same study also "observed grazing having a positive effect on plant diversity? and found that "in some environments, continued grazing is a required management technique to support native biodiversity?.Were I to stop grazing my 8-acre holding with Jersey cows, the pastures, meadows and hedgerows - which host well over 60 species of plants, a dozen kinds of butterfly, insects ranging from dung beetles to grasshoppers, and various birds, reptiles and mammals - would be overtaken by bracken and brambles. Over time, this would presumably succeed to woodland, but in west Dorset we are already blessed with abundant tree cover. Continue reading...