Make it Sustainable
We’ve been farming livestock in Scotland for centuries and today our quality assured livestock farms produce the finest nutrient-rich red meat for us to eat – and to do so sustainably.
We’ve been farming livestock in Scotland for centuries and today our quality assured livestock farms produce the finest nutrient-rich red meat for us to eat – and to do so sustainably.
We emphasise the importance of whole supply chain traceability in red meat production in Scotland – and how traceability from farm to fork is important not only to protect animal health and welfare, but also to ensure sustainability right across the full spectrum of Scottish livestock production.
Red meat is a sustainable food source. Only ruminants are able to transform grass and forage land into food for us, such as dairy and meat, and there is a large amount of marginal grassland which can’t be used for anything other than livestock grazing.
Grass is greener
More than 80% of land in Scotland is not suitable for growing crops, vegetables or fruit due to the land being too steep, inaccessible or the soil being too thin, but it is ideal for growing grass. In such areas, the soil will be able to hold huge amounts of water and provide flood protection for lower lying areas, while livestock grazing will also help to encourage and maintain biodiversity by creating species-rich grasslands. And, what’s more, when the farmers are making a living by selling meat from their grass-fed animals, there is a perfect cycle of sustainability: good for the soil, good for the environment, and producing healthy food for us.
Scottish quality assured livestock farms not only produce nutrient-rich red meat for us to eat, the farmers and their animals are also involved in a range of interconnected natural cycles and ecosystems which benefit us all. The Farming Circle of Life video has been created to highlight how this complex web of interlinked and natural ecosystems work together to produce Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork.
Sustainable Choices
Everyone can eat more sustainably by following three steps. Firstly, eat food that is produced locally and is in season. Secondly, reduce your food waste. Thirdly, know your labels – like the Scotch brand – so you can make informed healthy and sustainable choices.
Monitor Farms is a programme to instigate positive transformational change through innovative sustainable farming practices on farms across Scotland.
Changing on-farm practices for livestock production to those that are more sustainable reduces the number of greenhouse gases each and every farm emits.
Let us take you on a journey into what makes Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork so special, and how we produce such high-quality meat renowned and enjoyed worldwide.
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