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Abstract

The aim of this project is to better understand the potential value of mob or holistic grazing in the management of historic and ecological assets.

Description

Mob or holistic grazing is a term to describe keeping large numbers of grazing animals on small areas of pasture, moving them frequently and allowing the grazed land to rest for a long period before the animals are returned. This grazing management tool mimics the natural system of large herds in the wild that graze and trample the ground before moving on. Mob or holistic grazing is little used in England but has potential value for supporting the management of historic and ecological assets.

A quick scoping review and sakeholder consultation will be conducted to understand the implications of mob or holistic grazing for delivering: improved soil health and tree health, thereby benefitting the historic environment; increased biodiversity; cleaner water; improved animal welfare; and economic benefits to land managers. Furthermore, the project will examine if this grazing management tool could be used to deliver nature-based solutions for climate change and will seek to identify any evidence for blended finance and carbon trading, which this form of nature-based solution lends itself to.

The outputs will include an over-arching report outlining the findings of the project including, knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research, a series of infographics to deliver key messages about the benefits of mob or holistic grazing and a webinar for key partners.

Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Todd Jenkins for his work on this research.