As explained in our latest article, grass, in every shape and form, represents a big part of the livestock diet. In North-West Europe, pastures are everywhere to see, and they are not only important for our cows, but are a key element in farm resilience and play a big role in our societies.
At the scale of the farm, pastures play a central role:
🟫 Soil health and carbon sequestration: the grass and plants that constitute a pasture protect the soil thanks to their roots, while limiting erosion. Pastures also prevent against groundwater contamination and limits runoffs, while supporting groundwater recharge. Soils are also very active store of carbon, compensating for part of the emissions from livestock.
🌱 Grass also contributes to carbon sequestration, as well as providing feed for the animals, whether it be directly through grazing or when cut and stored for feeding animals in the winter with hay (dried grass) and silage (fermented grass).
🐄 When cows are in pastures, they all have access to the same amount of grass, eliminating competition for feed, which could happen in a barn when the feed bunk space is not large enough or not adapted. Studies showed that letting cows in pastures could also improve their welfare as it enables natural behaviour.
💩 Cows’ manure acts as a natural fertiliser on pastures, limiting the need to use chemical fertilisers. Some farmers also proceed to exchange manure against other products with neighbouring farmers.
If pastures are at the centre of many farmers’ life, they also are fundamental to our communities:
🌽 Some regions are not adapted to growing crops because of the quality of the soil or the relief, while pastures are really resilient and can grow on a variety of terrains.
🥩 Cows can transform pastures into high quality proteins essential to our bodies, turning inedible plants into food for human consumption.
🌄 What would our landscapes look like without pastures? They indeed play a key role in preventing overurbanisation and make our regions attractive for tourism. Pastures also provide open spaces for recreation, outdoor activities and connection to nature, contributing to mental and physical well-being.
🐞🐝🦋 Well-managed pastures often support a rich diversity of plants, insects, and other wildlife. Permanent grasslands can create varied habitats, which are essential for many species, including pollinators. Through grass, flowers, hedges, manure, etc., pastures enhance ecological resilience and provide refuge for biodiversity.
In 2018, one fifth of the EU surface area was covered by grassland, enhancing the fact that livestock farming in our regions still relies a lot on pastures.
In conclusion, pastures are essential to our agricultural systems, but also for promoting biodiversity, and ensuring food security. Protecting and managing pastures responsibly is not just a necessity for livestock farming but is also a crucial strategy for fostering global sustainability and resilience. Without cows, there would most probably be no more pastures, and who knows what our world would look like then…