Livestock farming often finds itself in the crosshairs of environmental debate, but a recent kitchen table-style discussion at Groundswell 2026 challenged these assumptions. NFFN Cymru sustainable farming officer Ifan Davies, who chaired the session, shares his thoughts.

One of the biggest aims of this session was to move the conversation about livestock farming beyond simplistic narratives and into exploring how the land is crucial to restoring soil and biodiversity and how livestock, with the right practical, active management, are a key player in this process. We also discussed how agriculture is a key bond for many rural communities.

The session brought together a panel of upland farmers from three UK countries. Claire Whittle farms beef cattle and is busy restoring habitats as part of a new enterprise on her farm in North Wales. Claire Beaumont farms cattle, pigs and horses as well as providing a venue for hire and a community garden with her husband Sam at Gowbarrow Hall in the Lake District. Phil Bertin farms pedigree Highland cattle and Scottish Blackface-Swaledale cross ewes on the community-owned Scottish island of Ulva, just off the Isle of Mull.

The panel, therefore, represented farming areas across the UK where climate and geography are often unfavourable, with rainfall up to double that of the UK average and lower average temperatures and soil fertility.

The central theme quickly became clear: farming with nature is not about abandonment or locking up land. It is about active management. The discussion focused on three primary pillars of modern agricultural practice:

• Ecosystems with ruminants. The panel highlighted the role of traditional grazing regimes versus passive management. By utilising multi-species grazing which can include cattle, sheep, and ponies, farmers can leverage underground workers like dung beetles to cycle nutrients and improve soil fertility.

• Economic viability. Resilience is key to the sector’s future. The conversation examined the pros and cons of Maximum Sustainable Output (MSO) as a tool for financial resilience and lowering input costs. The panel emphasised that environmental schemes should reward the practical, on-the-ground work many farmers are already doing, rather than incentivising passive carbon speculation.

• The human factor. Agriculture is as much about people as it is about land. The speakers discussed the necessity of preserving culture in agriculture and the importance of heritage. We want to see policy lifting up livestock farming as a vital tool for environmental stewardship which also sustains vibrant, working rural communities across each of the UK’s devolved nations.

The diverse experiences of the panel members made it clear that there is no single template for success.  Discussions ranged from my own use of rotational grazing at Carreg-y-Big in the mid-Wales mountains to Phil's work with on-farm butchery and community-owned land on Ulva, and from Claire Whittle’s deep knowledge of livestock health (and of course dung beetles!), to Claire Beaumont’s public engagement work. 

However, all of us agreed that the path forward lies in integrating healthy animal production with ecological health.