Cattle eating grass, it's only natural
In today's Livestock in the Landscape we look at why the simple act of grazing can be so important for the planet. Martin Hesp meets a farmer who grazes his animals in a climate friendly way, and Graham Harvey explains the lessons that can be learned from the old prairies of the Wild West
ANYONE gazing at the green hills of the Westcountry must wonder what all the fuss is about. Why are people saying agriculture is messing up the planet – this peninsula looks like an earthly version of heaven? Why accuse innocent animals like cows and sheep of contributing to climate change – they've been here for centuries and we haven't overheated yet?
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Pioneering farmer Geoff Sayers of Holbeton in Devon getting top the roots of grazing
The disturbing fact, however, is that the latest scientific thinking suggests Europe's natural environment is only capable of mopping up a pathetic two per cent of the carbon we create by burning fossil fuels.
It should be more. The forests and untouched grasslands could offset around 19 per cent of the emissions caused by fossil fuel burning. But scientists now believe that agricultural and drained peat lands are emitting their own vast quantities of CO2, which cancels part of this sink.
As a by-product of our heavy management of the landscape, other powerful greenhouse gases are released – including methane from ruminants and nitrous oxide from fertilisers. Maybe the vociferous section of the climate-change lobby which is calling for a reduction in animal-based farming is right to do so?
Well, yes – and no.
It would be hard, for instance, to argue that chicken reared in a Far East factory-farm and flown to the UK in fuel-guzzling aircraft to be served as fast-food, was nothing less that ruinous.
But food which is produced as a result of traditional grazing on this peninsula in particular, represents the very antithesis of that planet- wrecking scenario. In fact, meat and dairy products that are the result of very carefully managed grazing systems can lower carbon in the atmosphere.
Brazilian scientists recently found that "no-till" farming can play an important role in keeping carbon in the soil, rather than allowing it to escape into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
One Westcountry farmer who is something of a pioneer in managing his grazing to reduce carbon emissions is Geoff Sayers. He is best known for his organic meat marketing firm the Well Hung Meat Company, but Geoff is also a dairy farmer.
He applies a rotational system to the way he grazes his dairy cows on the South Devon coast, and in that way captures carbon rather than releases it.
"The principle is that you graze your grass so that carbon is sequestered in the soil via the degradation of roots," Geoff explains. "If you graze from eight inches down to three inches, the re-growth is of top quality. It's a bit like someone mowing the lawn – you know that the more you mow, the more you will have to mow."
Grasses are like icebergs – they have as much below the surface as above it. When animals graze off much of the above-ground vegetation, the plant sheds root to maintain the balance. The decaying root adds to the carbon-rich compounds in the soil.
As the vegetation grows back so the plant re-grows more root. Then when the pasture's grazed again the whole cycle is repeated. In this way the pasture works like a carbon pump, taking carbon dioxide from the air for photosynthesis, then locking it up safely in the soil.
"All this stuff about cows producing methane is a red herring," says Geoff. "The reason cows give off that is because of what they are fed. If you look at the total footprint of intensive livestock farming – of growing the soya, the oil for ploughing, the transportation – our carbon footprint is almost non-existent in comparison.
"One – you are not increasing your carbon footprint because of the grazing process; two – you are not using intensive inputs that take energy; and three – the rumens of the cows are working naturally because they are getting natural food to digest."
Professor Nigel Scollan of the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University told the WMN: "It is important to state some of the positive attributes of livestock farming. One of the key points I make is that ruminant agriculture has a very important role to play in our food security.
"Livestock is very good at creating food for people by converting grass which we cannot eat. That is important – that is a positive message – and one which people ought to be told about."
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by j, Michigan
Monday, December 07 2009, 1:11AM
“Simple science for you guys: we are taking carbon out of the earth, turning it into carbon dioxide and pumping it into the atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide holds heat, that is a basic scientific fact. So we are warming the planet.”
by Freethinker, Cornwall
Friday, December 04 2009, 8:11PM
“It seems like you've sold your mind to the Gaia cult of religious eviromentalism Chris. I'm concerned about REAL enviromental issues like global pollution, genetic modification and deforrestation, but not climate change. The Earth's climate will carry on changing through the centuries to come until the end. Man is not to blame, but phoney science is. The climate cult is all about expanding the power of a dictatoral, unelected global government, diluting powers of nations states, seizing control of the global economies, eviscerating the middle class with a raft of new regulations and laws, and shutting down western industry with impossible CO2 reduction mandates, while erecting enviromentalism, which is really a thin veil for global fascism, as a new universal religion. In my view Chris, this has nothing to do with saving the planet and, as the climategate scandal illustrated, nothing to do with the real science but everything to do with a relatively small group of globalists running roughshod over humanity in the pursuit of their Malthusian control freak agenda. Freethinker”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Friday, December 04 2009, 7:56PM
“:| Chris; if the weather forecasts had been getting better since computerisation instead of progressively worse, I would have more sympathy with your position. . But bearing in mind 'Banking' has just taken us all for £850billion, I'm leaning increasingly towards Freethinkers scenario. . Best Charles”
by Chris, Cornwall
Friday, December 04 2009, 7:11PM
“To be honest Freethinker, my three year old cousin could of worked that one out but i catch your drift. We are blithely following the Easter Islanders lead on this one, we'll go on consuming finite resources until we end up fighting over the last piece of coal, it would be hilarious if it was'nt so idiotic.
I agree with you that we have age-old and entrenched political systems and business organisations who will not lead themselves with changes needed but look to the masses to pay for it. James Hansen is right at the attitudes shown by the governments of the world, their monumentally misplaced and their solutions wholly inadequate. I just dont want to be part of a country or society who just dont give a fig about whats happening because it will cost too much to do anything about it. Im already anticipating the public outrage over a future possible ecological disaster, we take too much for granted and deserve everything we may get.
As soon as we realise that by ransacking the natural world, just in order to fill our pockets, that we are in fact cutting off our own life-support system, the better.
I swear that if we ever get invaded by aliens, I guarantee that someone will stand up in the Houses of Parliament wanting to discuss the effects on the house prices of his constituents...”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Friday, December 04 2009, 6:43PM
“:| I underestimated your investigative endeavour Justin. . Best Charles”
by Freethinker, Cornwall
Friday, December 04 2009, 4:35PM
“Hello Chris. I was looking at the Council of The Club of Rome's book which was produced in 1991. I downloaded the full book in 2006. In chapter 7 of the book called The Vacuum, their is a very intresting segment towards the end of the chapter which says: In searching for a common enemy against whom we can unite, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill. In their totality and their interactions these phenomena do constitute a common threat which must be confronted by everyone together. But in designating these dangers as the enemy, we have already readers about, namely mistaking symptoms for causes. All these dangers are caused by human intervention in natural processes, and it is only through changed attitudes and behaviour they can be overcome. The real enemy then is humanity itself". In 1968 a think - tank emerged out of the back alleys of the eugenics movement called the Club of Rome. Nurtured from its very conception Chris as a beacon of light to which all enviromentalist ships should navigate, its creators knew that the green movement they had set out to create was designed to blame man for the supported predicament Earth was in. Read the 1991 book published by the Club Chris. You'll find it online. Freethinker”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Friday, December 04 2009, 1:16PM
“:| Interesting of course, but I only took a quick look. . AIDS is increasing on every continent Chris so maybe that is what will save the planet. . The Good Lord works in mysterious ways. . The idea that mankind can/will just go just go on increasing in numbers indefinitely, is for the fairies. . Always remember, we are all just a 'blip' in this universe. . We are all an irrelevance.”
by Chris, Cornwall
Friday, December 04 2009, 10:11AM
“I know your dying to read that Guardian link Charles but im waiting for for the WMN powers-that-be to clear it....”
by Chris, Cornwall
Friday, December 04 2009, 10:03AM
“And the link is(!):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/02/copenhagen-climate-change-james-hansen”
by Chris, Cornwall
Friday, December 04 2009, 10:00AM
“Listening to people like Lord Monckton on climate change would be like pouring fuel on the fire. It's sheer insanity. I am more than prepared to accept that climate change is more a natural cycle than a human one but the intricacies of CC go alot further than the planet simply warming up. The severity is up for debate but the incoming scientific data still shows that there will be a wholesale change of habitat and species composition in many parts of the world. And while this may not seem important, this will have long term consequences for many millions of people, as we all rely on a natural world that is speciose and highly biodiverse.
The horse trading in Copenhagen will probably come to nothing and I have sympathy with some of Freethinkers collusion statements, the appetite for confronting the important issues of CC are tempered by how much it will cost and a unwillingness to leave the trough that the politicians of the world currently gorge in.
Monckton is a business consultant, thats the last person we need to get advice on mitigating CC's possible effects. Thats how we got into trouble in the first place. Try reading some of James Hansen's thoughts instead, much more informative than anything Monckton could say. And I know the link is from The Guardian Charles but you can delete your internet history afterwards so you won't feel so sullied.”