Grazing for Good in upland landscapes
Project overview
This collaborative research project, led by the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association (HSBA), West Lakeland CIC and the Federation of Cumbrian Commoners, focuses on the future sustainability of Upland and Hill sheep farming within the Lake District and surrounding areas.
Bringing together industry, community and farming stakeholders, the project aims to generate evidence that supports productive and resilient sheep farming systems while recognising the vital ecological, social and economic benefits these landscapes provide. By exploring approaches that balance agricultural output with environmental stewardship and rural livelihoods, the research will help inform the development of sustainable Upland farming systems for the future.
Aims
- Conduct an independent scientific review of existing evidence to help structure/inform agri-environment approaches to grazing, nature recovery and upland management on fells
- Focused on the lake district national park
- To critically examine the value of grazing livestock in the hills, whether that is value to farming, nature, landscape or public goods.
Review process and science panel
The review considered three core questions:
1. What is the empirical basis for the 0.5 ewe/ha annual average figure used in GRNR?
2. How has stocking rate evidence for agreements been generated, interpreted and applied during HLS rollovers in the Lake District?
3. What immediate improvements to data sharing and agreement negotiation process would most increase confidence in decision making for the Lake District fells?
The panel reviewed evidence from GRNR, Upland scientific literature, comparable habitats, experimental grazing studies, NE evidence reviews, hill grazing models, monitoring frameworks, farm business evidence and the practical realities surrounded hefted sheep systems on common land.
This report should be read as an independent evidence review identifying issues for further investigation, discussion and improvement.
Outcomes
- No magic number exists - the science doesn’t support a one-size fits all approach
- Habitat recovery is about more than sheep numbers - nature recovery is shaped by a complex mix of factors
- Local conditions matter - different habitats require different grazing pressures
Please see the 'Resources and Reports' section for the following reports relating to this project:
- Grazing for Good Review: Final Report 2026
- Grazing in Uplands Landscapes: Pakeman Scoping Review 2024
- Grazing Regimes for Nature Recovery Report: Natural England Report 2020
Invitation to respond
Publication of this report is intended to generate discussion. The scientific panel and steering group welcome responses from farmers, commoners, Natural England, conservation organisations, landowners, researchers, advisers and policy-makers.
The aim of the project is to support better shared understanding of what works on the Lake District fells: for habitats, farming, common land, and for the cultural landscape that depends on all of them.
Get in touch here.
The Grazing for Good project was initiated by the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association, Federation of Cumbria Commoners and West Lakeland CIC, and is now supported and project-managed by NSA. The project was made possible through donations from local agricultural orgnaisations and FiPL funding from the Lake District National Park Authority.
