Diet change, particularly eating a little less meat, is widely recommended for health and sustainability reasons. Yet, government support for such shifts is often framed as a threat to UK livestock farmers.  

Our analysis shows that, while meat consumption in the UK has fallen over the past two decades, production, particularly of pork and beef, has not, with a growing share of what is produced exported. More reduction is needed to reduce agriculture’s climate and nature impacts. We also find that beef and lamb production is rarely profitable, with many English grazing livestock farms operating at a loss.  

Diet change and farm viability need not be in conflict. Co-ordinated policies through the government’s Environmental Land Management schemes, supported by a clearer Land Use Framework, could help farmers build more resilient businesses, using land for public goods like carbon storage in woodland and the management of flood risks, while also reducing herd sizes.