What meat is sustainable and how do you know if you are buying sustainable meat?

There is much in the media currently about sustainable meat, and many retailers have been promoting different meat products as sustainable. But what does sustainability mean, and how can you ensure your meat is sustainable?  There are many elements to consider when reviewing how sustainable any given product is. In terms of meat products, we think it is essential to focus on the following elements: 

• How were the animals reared from a welfare standpoint? 
• What were the animals fed and was this sustainable? 
• Food miles - Where were the animals reared, and where am I buying the meat? 
• How was the farmland managed to support the animals? 

Let's tackle each of these considerations in a bit more detail.

Welfare considerations for livestock

This is a big topic and specific concerns will depend on the type of livestock. However, there are some big things to look out for when trying to make a sustainable decision.  As a rule of thumb, if the packaging doesn't clearly say how the animals were reared, they were likely reared to the basic requirements of that specific country and/or livestock type. However, if the packaging mentioned terms such as free-range, high welfare or pasture reared then you are starting to raise that standard.  Free-range generally refers to livestock that is kept on grass or outside at least some of the time. But they may be kept in barns during the winter months or during specific stages in their production, such as during the last stages before being sent to market sometimes called finishing. Meanwhile, pasture reared will mean that animals are kept on grass where possible for the vast majority of their lives, only being brought indoors in extreme weather conditions or for giving birth, as is the case for some lambing and calving to ensure the welfare of those lambs/calves.  You can also look out for labelling symbols, for example, the RSPCA Assured logo or the Red Tractor logo. Red Tractor shows the food product has been produced in the UK and it also oversees welfare monitoring for its members.  By choosing to buy directly from farmers, you can have a closer relationship with where the livestock has been raised, which means you can be more confident in the welfare practices of that farm. For example, at Bere Mill Farm, we are always happy to answer any questions from customers or visitors regarding our livestock and are very open about our welfare practices. 

Livestock feed - how does this impact the sustainability of meat? 

As mentioned above, livestock can be reared on different systems, which may impact what they eat and the sustainability of their diet. Animals reared solely on grass have a lower environmental impact than those reared on feed.  This is partly because the feed needs to be grown on farmland, and this takes up space for crops that would otherwise feed humans. But these feeds can often be brought in from other countries, which adds to the carbon footprint of that livestock. For example, many cows who are barn finished or reared will be fed on soya-based feeds, which are often grown in mainland Europe or beyond.    At Bere Mill Farm, all our animals are pasture-fed, which means we use very little additional food to the grass they eat; they do occasionally get extra hay in the fields or when they come in for lambing/calving. Some of them also get a small top up of compound feed in the winter when they are heavily pregnant, particularly if it has been a harsh winter. This means they have a lower carbon footprint and produce more sustainable meat.  When we were first adding livestock to the farm, we carefully considered which breeds would do well on the land we have. We thought about how they would benefit the land and the wildlife, as well as how much we would need to feed them, etc. We chose native-breed cattle that cope well on a grass-fed diet: Belted Galloways with a Shorthorn Bull. We initially started with Welsh mountain sheep, but as the flock grew we found that a native-but-commercial variety of mule sheep was just as suited to the land and was easier to source when growing a flock. 

Consider your food miles when choosing sustainable meat 

Food miles were a big topic for sustainability a few years ago, but this seems to have been overlooked more recently. It does have a big impact on the sustainability of your meat, though, and your food in general. Flying in lamb from New Zealand is clearly less eco-friendly than buying British lamb.  But you can go a step further: If you buy from a supermarket, your meat may have travelled many miles to reach those shelves. Consider a steak; first, the cow is taken to market and sold, and then it makes its way to an abattoir. Then the meat is sent to a butcher or a processing plant to be made into steaks and so on. Then it’s taken to supermarket depot before finally heading out to your local supermarket. During this time, the steak may have travelled up and down the country multiple times.  If, however, you buy direct from a local farmer, you know that meat will likely never have left the county before it reaches your plate. 

How does land management affect the sustainability of meat? 

Land management is a huge topic and there are many different approaches that have pros and cons. There is no perfect land management option that works for all farms and all livestock. But the style of land management does impact the sustainability of meat.  One sustainable option that works for some farms is mob grazing, where animals are moved between different grazing areas very often to prevent overgrazing. But this is not suitable for all. For example, on our land, this would be tricky to facilitate due to the number of footpaths. Mob grazing often relies on small fenced-off areas that use electric fencing, which is hard to manage without blocking footpaths.  At Bere Mill Farm, we work hard to make our land management processes as sustainable as possible while considering what is appropriate for our land. This includes leaving wildflower margins, rotating grazing regularly and supporting wildlife through various schemes. You can read more about here.