Sheep at Kirkwood

What are the environmental consequences of sheep rearing?

At nearly 7 million ewes, rams, and lambs, Scotland is home to more sheep than people. Sheep are cultivated for both their wool and their meat, and the Dumfriesshire region of Scotland is well-known for both - as evidenced by the Moffat Woollen Mill and the sheep statues in Lockerbie’s town centre. But sheep meat isn’t much better than beef, when it comes to environmental impacts, and the textile industry is another major contributor to climate change.

Like cows, sheep are ruminant: they ferment plants in a specialised stomach before digesting it, releasing a lot of methane in the process. And while sheep meat is generally ranked as slightly better than beef, in terms of carbon emissions, lamb is particularly bad - because slaughtering the younger animals means there is so much less meat, proportional to the resources involved. And even if sheep are used more for wool than food, there are still major environmental consequences. Read more below.

One way to support sustainability in farming is to reduce the environmental impact of the process. But another angle is to consider the social and economic impacts, and try to enhance those so the environmental costs create maximum benefits. Kirkwood Farm in Lockerbie bolsters its financial bottom line while supporting environmental education through real life farm experiences for city folk - including the chance to help with lambing, shearing, and feeding. Learn a bit more about the farm’s operations and special Michelin-connected meat via the links below.