It is clear that our nature recovery ambitions will need to include agricultural land if restoration is to take place at a landscape scale.  Hence the rise of the concept of agricultural rewilding in recent years, whereby ecologically-informed agricultural practice, usually involving livestock, is blended with initiatives to restore ecological processes and biodiversity.

In this study the authors collated evidence from scientific and grey literature and conducted interviews with academics and practitioners from across Europe to assess where we are in terms of practically delivering such solutions, the challenges and opportunities they present and key lessons for the future.  They identified 25 case studies of agricultural rewilding involving livestock, 18 of which are in the UK.

Amongst the challenges identified in delivering these initiatives were a lack of clarity on the trade-off between the carbon sequestration benefits of restoring habitats versus the greenhouse gas emissions of livestock and the potential for adverse impacts on biodiversity arising from overgrazing.  As both problems are likely to be context-specific, the authors recommend research to assess impacts across a range of scenarios. Another significant threat to realizing the potential of agricultural rewilding is the challenge of defining the associated livestock as distinct from those in intensive agricultural systems in terms of animal welfare and food safety policies. These and other thorny problems are considered alongside the clear potential benefits of agricultural rewilding for biodiversity, the climate and sustainability.

The authors conclude that the development of clear guidelines for effective implementation, quantifying outcomes and showcasing successes, and developing a supportive framework of policies and legislation will be critical in realizing the potential benefits of agricultural rewilding.

Reference: van Dooren, V., Montes Strevens, C., & Pettorelli, N. (2025). Agricultural rewilding with livestock: Lessons for implementation in Europe. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 6, e70135. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.70135