Woodland grazing and sustainable farming take centre stage at Oxford Real Farming Conference

Transforming barren or unused land into woodland grazing spaces, could allow farmers to create a more sustainable and profitable future, benefiting animals, farmers, and the environment alike. 

A win for farmers, animals and the environment 

Many British farmers face the challenge of managing land that is unsuitable for growing crops. Instead of leaving these areas unused, they can convert them into woodland grazing spaces. By planting trees, these areas become natural habitats where animals like cows, pigs and chickens can graze and forage. 

This matters because it’s a low-cost, high-welfare alternative to intensive farming. Take factory farms, for instance, where animals are confined indoors, and 60-70% of costs go towards processed animal feed. Woodland grazing flips this model. Animals forage naturally, saving farmers significant expenses while improving their welfare. 

Farmers leading the way 

At Brodoclea Woodland Farm in Ayrshire, 120 woolly pigs thrive in the woodland, happily foraging for their food. “They are quite self-sufficient,” says David Carruth, Sustainable Farming Manager at Brodoclea. “This keeps our costs low. Market prices for animal feed are significant, so this is a huge saving for us.” 

The pigs’ health also benefits. “We don’t require routine medications and have only had one vet visit in five years,” David adds. The pigs’ natural lifestyle makes them resilient and healthy, which is a significant contrast to the stressful and cruel conditions of factory farms. 

Planton Farm in Shropshire is creating what they call a “food forest.” Inspired by the behaviour of wild chickens, they’ve designed a system where the lower parts of the forest provide food for their dual-purpose chickens (for eggs and meat), while the higher parts are used for growing crops for humans. Co-founder Annie Rayner explains, “By growing vertically, we are further adding to our productivity.” 

Policy changes are key 

While these examples showcase the potential of woodland grazing, there’s one big obstacle: funding. Existing agricultural policies need to better support farmers transitioning to these sustainable practices. 

Lindsay Duncan, UK Farming Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection, highlights the issue: 

“Existing agricultural policy has the potential to support a sustainable food system, but it will need to be tweaked to allow for more flexibility for farmers to keep animals in a nature-friendly way.” 

Current tree-planting subsidies, for example, vary by species. Farmers with cattle can plant more trees than those with pigs. In this instance, Lindsay argues for a unified policy that supports all animals equally, enabling more farmers to adopt higher-welfare systems. 

A just transitioning for farming 

World Animal Protection’s upcoming Just Transition Report will outline a roadmap for making sustainable, high-welfare farming accessible to more farmers. It will focus on using non-arable land to benefit animals, the environment, and farmers’ incomes. The report launches on 5th March 2025. 

The future of farming doesn’t require revolutionary changes but a shift in how we use the resources we already have. Supporting farmers to adopt practices like woodland grazing means that we can create a food system that works for everyone.