Outcomes of management practices on regenerative and organic cattle and sheep farms in the UK—a systematic literature review

Abstract Livestock farmers in the United Kingdom must balance productivity and economic viability with numerous sustainability goals, particularly those related to achieving net zero and nature restoration. Resultantly, interest is growing among stakeholders in organic and regenerative agriculture as potential routes to a sustainable food future. To explore the sustainability of these systems, a systematic literature review, following the PRISMA protocol, was conducted comparing the management practices used on organic and regenerative cattle and sheep farms in the UK. The relationship between farming system and management practices on outcomes for animal health, animal welfare, productivity, finances and biodiversity were compared to conventional. A total of 45 papers were included, revealing a gap in research on regenerative ruminant systems (2 documents), compared with organic systems (43 documents). Research on organic farming demonstrates that, compared to conventional farming, financial performance is improved, productivity is decreased, and no difference is frequently observed on animal health and welfare, and biodiversity. In contrast, empirical research on regenerative livestock farms only assessed earthworm abundance, as a soil health indicator, indicating the need for studies examining a broader range of outcomes. Comparisons were not possible between farm types due to heterogeneous study designs, highlighting the need for standardised methodologies to produce comparable evidence on sustainable farming practices. Methods used in organic research may be valuable for the design of studies evaluating regenerative livestock systems. Key management practices undertaken on livestock farms included rotational grazing, use of multi-species pastures, crop-livestock integration and improving biodiversity via practices like hedgerow maintenance.