Futuristic Nutrition for Cattle: FiBL Study Demonstrates the Advantages of Grass-Based Feeding

A study recently published by Greenpeace from the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture sheds light on the positive effects of changing the diet of German cattle to more grass and hay. The resulting benefits are multifaceted and range from a reduced consumption of land area to an increased food production, as well as significant savings in greenhouse gas emissions and a promotion of animal welfare. The researchers at the FiBL have demonstrated in their study that increasing the proportion of grass in the feed to 85 to 100 percent could reduce the amount of milk produced per year by up to half. Correspondingly, the quantity of beef produced would also decrease noticeably. However, this scenario also has positive consequences: approximately 2.4 million hectares of land previously used for cropland fodder would become available, enabling a direct, increased production of plant-based foods for human consumption. This would result in a significant increase in protein production – estimated at 2.5 to 3.5 times the amount of animal protein lost. Likewise, such a change in feed would have a positive impact on the climate. Depending on the scenario, the emission of greenhouse gases could be reduced by several million tons of CO2 equivalents. However, such a comprehensive reorganization of feeding strategy requires longer transition periods and solid support, as the authors of the study emphasize. In the wake of the study's findings, Greenpeace demands a political rethink: away from the prevailing feeding practices of silage maize and concentrated feed, towards a refocusing on the cow as an efficient converter of pasture. Nearly a third of the agricultural land in Germany consists of grassland, which is often not suitable for arable farming. By promoting pasture management, these lands could be used adequately, according to Greenpeace agricultural expert Martin Hofstetter.