One-third of EU-protected habitats rely on low-intensity grazing, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing. To maintain these habitats protected under the EU Habitats Directive, 10-15% of EU cattle, sheep, and goats are necessary. Economic pressures and technological advancements have shifted farming to intensive methods, often leading to land abandonment in grazing-dependent areas. The EEA briefing highlights that at least 35 million hectares of EU habitats benefit from grazing or mowing, covering around 22% of EU farmland. It estimates that 7.8 million livestock, about 10-15% of the EU-27’s total ruminants, are needed to manage these habitats.
In the last decade, extensive and mixed-livestock farms have decreased by over 70%, with intensive systems concentrating in more productive areas, leaving grazing-dependent habitats at risk. Historically, grazers shaped ecosystems and prevented wildfires by taking over roles of large wild grazers like aurochs and bison. Grazing maintains diverse vegetation and is vital for grassland ecosystems, home to many threatened species, including 92% of EU-protected butterfly species and many meadow birds.
The European Commission is devising a livestock strategy to enhance the EU livestock sector’s competitiveness and sustainability. The EEA briefing supports the EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030 and the Nature Restoration Regulation, showing that strategic grazing plans can significantly benefit European ecosystems and species.
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