Thread by @thisfarmlife

If we stop livestock farming we can save the planet and turn 60% of our farmland back to nature.
A thread 🧵

Our farm is all good quality crop growing land, but around 220Ha is used for growing crops to feed our livestock which are predominantly housed all year round.

Maize, grass, wheat barley and oats are all used across our dairy and beef cattle along side a large quantity of food byproducts that are inedible to us humans.

Last year we produced 81,000kg of beef carcass, giving roughly 20,000kg lean beef. Using standard figures, that equates to 5200kg protein, and 50 million calories

We also produced 3 million litres of milk, which is another 102,000kg of protein and 1890 M calories.

In total, our livestock produced:

1940 million calories, or 8.8 million calories per Ha

And

107,200kg protein which is 90-95% available so giving 450kg available protein per Ha.

So if we ceased to farm livestock, how will we replace this lost nutrition, and only use half the area?
If I replaced the livestock on my farm…..

Beans are one alternative that can easily be grown here in the uk while also benefiting land as a break crop and a nitrogen fixing legume.

Providing 880 calories per kg, and an average UK yield of 4t, they’d provide 3.5 million calories per Ha

And at 8% protein, that would be 320kg of protein per Ha but at only between 60 - 80% available, that’s only 224kg protein per Ha.

thirdwavenutrition.com/blogs/news/a-g…

I’m summary, on this farm and from the same area of land we would be producing 50% less available protein and only 40% of the calories if we ceased livestock production.

And then there’s the huge amount of other essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins that have to be taken into account, as well as for the other vitally important uses.

One great benefit of beans is that it is a legume and fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere - around 25-75kg/Ha per year.
My livestock however supplies me with manure which is equivalent to 76kgN / Ha, along with phosphate, potash and other nutrients for healthy soil and crops

Inefficiency is one of the greatest causes of land use in agriculture. Uk Agriculture leads the way in efficiency, environmental standards as well as for quality and welfare.

I’m a country only 60% sufficient in the food we produce, and falling, should we be outsourcing production to those less efficient than us, those who do not meet our environmental, quality, welfare or sustainability standards?

And without our livestock, who help manage and shape out iconic green and pleasant lands, what will become of the ecosystem around us?

Our farm is not out of the ordinary. We are a standard UK family farm producing the highest quality food we can while protecting and providing for the environment alongside farming.

So for the highest quality nutrition, to support the environment and sustainability of farming and food production, i proud to be a livestock farmer. #backbritishfarming #proudtofarm #farmingcan #farm24 #weeatbalanced