The role of grazing in ecological transition

For the past thirty years, grazing has no longer been seen simply as a means of feeding flocks, but has come to be valued for its ecosystem services and as a sustainable way of maintaining green and natural spaces. Frequently referred to as "ecopasturing", this solution to environmental management has seen exponential growth since 2010 and its adoption in urban contexts. To limit the use of phytosanitary products, public and private players are turning to ecopasture to maintain parks, gardens and forests, as well as urban interstices such as transport embankments. However, the practice remains poorly documented, and experiments reveal wide disparities in terms of results for biodiversity.

Against a national backdrop of declining livestock farming and a questioning of its impact on the environment and animal welfare, the revival of grazing is a major environmental and agricultural challenge. The transformation of grazing into eco-grazing has significantly altered the way herbivores are managed, replacing the need for food with the need for optimal management of plant resources. The new ecological vocation of grazing has also overturned the genetic selection of animals, by valorizing non-productive species that have been sidelined by conventional breeding, but are adapted to life outdoors. This has led to the emergence of new breeding sectors focused on the conservation of hardy, local breeds. However, this evolution is accompanied by a decoupling between eco-grazing, which is becoming specialized as a service provided by landscaping contractors renting out animals, and productive livestock farming designed to feed the population. The break between the agricultural and non-agricultural functions of livestock farming calls into question the truly sustainable nature of eco-grazing, at a time when the multifunctionality of livestock farming would be an asset for the ecological transition.

This article explores the expected benefits and limitations of grazing for environmental management through a documented study of various experiments carried out in France in urban, rural and agricultural contexts. Based on a PhD thesis in geography and urban planning, it sheds light on – environmental, geographical, political, social and technical aspects – of a little-studied practice.