Grazing for Good in Upland Landscapes
This initiative is a farmer-led, participatory action research project focused on enhancing dialogue and evidence-based agri-environment policies in the Lake District. Led by the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association (HSBA), the Federation of Cumbria Commoners (FCC), and West Lakeland CIC, this work brings together farmers, researchers, and policymakers to ensure that land management decisions are grounded in robust science, practical farming knowledge, and an understanding of the cultural landscape.
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Initially building on concerns raised by farmers following the publication of Natural England's (NE) Grazing Regimes for Nature Recovery (GRNR) document in 2020, this project examines the scientific basis of current policy frameworks, addressing issues such as ecological baselines, data accuracy, and governance structures in the role of upland farming for delivering environmental public goods. Alongside a multidisciplinary Scientific Committee, the project will also establish structured discussions and collaboration between key stakeholders, including farmers, policymakers, and NE, with the aim to develop more transparent, inclusive, and effective decision-making processes for the future of our uplands.
Initial Scoping Review
To initiate this process, in 2024 the HSBA, FCC and West Lakeland CIC engaged Prof. Robin Pakeman, a highly regarded upland ecologist with extensive experience working with Natural England and other land management organisations, to conduct an initial independent scoping review of the GRNR report. Their aim was for this review to serve as the starting foundation for a genuinely collaborative process involving upland farmers, independent natural and social scientists, Natural England, and other local stakeholders. Together, farmers and other local land management stakeholders hope to co-develop innovative approaches to decision-making that balance diverse priorities and deliver desirable habitat outcomes for the future of our uplands. The initial scoping review by Professor Pakeman was generously crowdfunded by a wide variety of small local businesses, including local auction marts, accountants and village shows.
Independent Scientific Panel
One of the key recommendations from Professor Pakeman's initial scoping review was the establishment of an independent scientific panel of scientists to review evidence on environment, economics, and social aspects, to understand the drivers of change and to identify potential directions for upland management that would deliver multiple benefits.
The HSBA and FCC are therefore delighted to be working with an Independent Scientific Committee made up of four world-leading academics, each bringing deep expertise in upland environments, agro-ecological systems, and agri-environment policy. Their guidance will play a vital role in shaping this work, and farmers are extremely grateful for their generous commitment to a more balanced future for farming and nature in the Lake District.
Plant Ecologist
Prof. Robin Pakeman
The James Hutton Institute
Agro-ecologist
Dr Lisa Norton
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Professor of Agricultural Ecology
Prof. Davy McCracken
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)
Professor of Rural Resource Management
Prof. Matt Lobley
University of Exeter
The scientific panel will soon begin a review to inform future land management policy on the Lakeland Fells. A key early task will be to examine the origins of widely used stocking rate figures, such as the 0.05 LU/ha cited by Natural England, and assess whether these thresholds remain evidence-based.
They also plan to compare recent SSSI survey data with older datasets used in the Grazing Regimes for Nature Recovery report, and to investigate long-term livestock trends at the parish level, including potential sources like farm records or National Trust archives.
Understanding habitat variation will be central to this work. The panel hopes to access detailed habitat maps for the Lake District, to assess how different landscapes, such as heather versus grass fells, may support different stocking levels.
They will also begin building a catalogue of relevant environmental data, including livestock numbers, biodiversity indicators, nitrogen deposition, and climate trends. In particular, they plan to explore whether warming temperatures and increased plant growth could call for a reassessment of past grazing guidelines.
This work will help lay the groundwork for more robust, locally informed land management decisions.
Review Webinar
During this webinar in December 2024, Professor Pakeman from the James Hutton Institute shared findings and recommendations from his initial review of the 'Grazing Regimes for Nature Recovery' report from Natural England. This independent review, commissioned by the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association, Federation of Cumbria Commoners, and West Lakeland CIC, aims to be the first step to catalyse more collaborative and meaningful strategies to enhance farmer agency and integrate their knowledge in approaches to nature recovery in the Lake District Fells. You can watch the initial webinar below:
At the heart of these discussions lies a deep concern among Lake District farming families about the unintended consequences of uniform grazing limits: 0.05 livestock units of ewes per hectare, roughly one ewe per two hectares, across all habitat types. The HSBA warned that such a one‑size‑fits‑all rule undermines their ability to manage the fells, threaten farm profitability, and erode the age‑old hefting system that keeps flocks on unfenced commons. The potential exodus from agri‑environment schemes into full‑production enterprises risked leaving precious upland landscapes unmanaged for nature.
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Meanwhile, escalating lowland agri‑environment payments (for instance, of £515/ha for winter bird seed mixes) have made off-wintering upland flocks downslope to lowland dairy farms even more difficult and prohibitively expensive for hill farmers. This off‑wintering migration is not only increasingly costly, but also disrupts the hardiness of hill flocks and maternal bonding between ewes and lambs, eroding the cultural hefting knowledge passed from mothers to offspring. As flocks mix with lowland livestock, farmers report rising losses to tick‑borne disease and even ‘spill‑over’ of cattle afflictions such as digital dermatitis into their sheep.
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The FCC adds that these continued top‑down stocking mandates have led some fell commons to plummet to 0.05 LU ewes per hectare, with few viable routes to replace phased‑out Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) support. They argue passionately for bespoke stocking rates tailored to the productivity, history, and unique ecological tapestry of each common.