Livestock

Pasture-Raised Livestock: Welfare Benefits and Trade-offs

Pasture-raised systems for cattle, sheep, and pigs offer significant welfare improvements over intensive indoor production, though trade-offs exist.

Key Facts

Pasture-raised cattle have lower rates of lameness and respiratory disease
Outdoor pigs have access to rooting, wallowing, and natural behaviour
Free-ranging animals can experience heat, cold, and predation risks
Pasture-raised products are typically more expensive than intensively farmed equivalents
Regenerative grazing can improve soil health and carbon sequestration

Welfare Considerations

Access to pasture fundamentally improves welfare by enabling natural behaviour, social interaction, and reduced disease pressure from confinement. However, outdoor systems require careful management: parasites are more prevalent outdoors, extreme weather causes stress, and predator pressure from foxes can be significant for poultry and lambs. Well-managed outdoor systems consistently outperform indoor intensive systems on welfare metrics.

What You Can Do

Choose pasture-raised or free-range certified products where available
Look for RSPCA Assured, Pasture for Life, or Soil Association certification
Ask restaurants and caterers about the provenance of meat they serve
Support farmers transitioning to pasture-raised systems
Advocate for labelling that clearly identifies production method