Building A Sustainable Future For Britain’s Upland Farmers

In the high, wind-cut fells and deep valleys of the Yorkshire Dales, where sheep have shaped the land for centuries, a new research project is asking a deceptively simple question: can traditional breeds grazing native upland forage help create a lower-carbon future for Britain’s hills? The Forage for CH4nge project, backed by Innovate UK, is bringing together farmers, ecologists and livestock scientists to explore how different sheep breeds and pasture types influence methane emissions in the upland environment - and what this could mean for the sustainability and resilience of upland farming.

Led by Wensleydale farmer Adrian Thornton-Berry, and delivered in partnership with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), UK Agri-Tech Centre, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the National Sheep Association (NSA) and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the study focuses on a unique, real-world question: how do native Swaledale sheep compare with half-bred Texel-cross animals when grazing the complex mosaic of upland forages found in the Dales?

To answer this, 120 sheep - 60 of each breed - were divided into three groups and grazed on contrasting upland habitats:

• Improved pasture that had been seeded, treated or fertilised.
• Species-rich “natural” pasture, untouched for more than 30 years, supporting diverse grasses and forbs.
• Regenerating moorland, the rougher heather-edge grazing typical of Yorkshire’s upland fringe.

Two rounds of methane testing were carried out using SRUC’s Portable Accumulation Chambers (PAC), installed on a mobile trailer at Adrian’s farm in Swinithwaite. Each sheep spent 50 minutes in a sealed pod while emissions were recorded, along with weight and body condition. Throughout the process, careful stock handling ensured animals remained calm and stress-free. After testing, they returned to their fields to graze as normal.

Full methane results, combined with detailed vegetation surveys, will be published in early 2026. The findings are expected to offer the most upland-specific dataset yet available on how sheep, forage and landscape interact to influence greenhouse-gas output.

Agriculture is responsible for around 12% of the UK’s total greenhouse-gas emissions, with livestock contributing roughly half of that. Methane - a by-product of natural rumen fermentation - is one of the most significant gases associated with sheep farming. Although it breaks down in the atmosphere far more quickly than carbon dioxide, it is a much more potent greenhouse gas in the short term, which is why reducing livestock methane is a cornerstone of the industry’s net-zero ambitions.

But in the uplands, the conversation is more complex. The Yorkshire Dales, like much of northern England’s hill country, is dominated by semi-natural grasslands, moorland and peatland - landscapes that support extraordinary biodiversity and store large quantities of carbon. Sheep play a central role in shaping these habitats, yet their feed quality, growth rates and management systems differ dramatically from lowland farms. Rough grazing can reduce productivity per animal, and lower-quality forage often results in higher methane emissions per unit of meat or wool produced.

This makes the Forage for CH4nge study particularly valuable: it is asking methane questions in the landscape where they matter most.

For many upland farmers, the cultural and heritage value of local sheep runs deep. The Swaledale, with its curled horns and distinctive white blaze, has been moulded by generations of Dales winters; its ability to thrive on sparse forage makes it emblematic of the region. Yet commercial pressures have driven increased use of cross-bred, fast-growing sheep that can perform well on improved grassland.

Farmer Adrian Thornton-Berry believes understanding how these breeds compare in a changing climate is vital. “If we can show that native sheep are better on certain native forages, that helps us farm these sensitive areas better in the future,” he says. “This project is about building a sustainable future for Britain’s uplands - farming in a way that is more profitable, more resilient, and better for habitat and climate.”

Previous research points to several themes that Forage for CH4nge will now be able to test in an upland context:

• Forage quality influences methane more strongly than breed. Studies on lambs grazing fresh forages have shown little variation in methane per unit intake between breeds, but substantial differences between types of pasture, with more digestible swards reducing emissions.
• Diverse, herb-rich pastures can lower methane intensity. Work involving mixes including clover, chicory and plantain has demonstrated reductions in methane output alongside improved growth rates - meaning lower emissions per kilogram of lamb.
• Low-input systems may have higher emissions per unit of product, even if their absolute emissions per animal are similar, because growth rates can be slower on rough or low-quality forage.
• Intensifying pasture carries trade-offs. Fertiliser use and reseeding may reduce methane intensity, but can increase nitrous oxide emissions or negatively affect biodiversity, peat soils or water quality.

What makes this project distinctive is that it is testing these interactions directly within the upland environment - where soil depth, altitude, rainfall and traditional grazing patterns all shape what is possible.

For GWCT ecologist Ellie Raynor, the project could help chart a path forward for farmers navigating environmental and economic pressures. “By using breeds adapted to the local landscape and grazing the most appropriate forage, farmers can reduce input costs and improve productivity, while also lowering methane and enhancing biodiversity,” she explains.

The NSA agrees that data of this kind is urgently needed. Policy Manager Michael Priestley notes that the sector has committed to reaching net zero by 2040, and methane reduction will be part of that journey. “Just like any industry, you need data,” he says. “Low-methane, climate-efficient sheep are generally more profitable too. But we need real-world evidence to help farmers make informed decisions.”

And what could the findings mean for the Dales? If Forage for CH4nge identifies upland systems that combine lower emissions with strong animal performance and healthy habitats, the implications could be far-reaching:

• Evidence-based carbon accounting: more accurate measurement of upland sheep emissions, helping farmers communicate their environmental credentials.
• Support for native-breed grazing systems: if Swaledales on species-rich or moorland pasture perform well, it could strengthen the case for heritage approaches that also benefit biodiversity.
• Better-targeted policy and incentives: from agri-environment schemes to carbon payments, upland farms could gain recognition for delivering both food and ecosystem services.
• New narratives around “low-carbon lamb”: linking provenance, landscape and climate resilience in ways that resonate with modern consumers.

Whatever the results, the project is already reshaping how scientists and policymakers think about upland emissions. Rather than applying lowland assumptions to hill farming, it acknowledges that the uplands are unique - ecologically, culturally and economically - and deserve solutions designed for their realities.

Is this a moment of opportunity for Britain's uplands? As climate targets tighten and land use debates intensify, the future of farming in upland areas like the Dales is under scrutiny. Yet with careful research and collaboration between farmers and scientists, the hills may offer more solutions than problems. By bringing together traditional knowledge, ecological insight and quantitative data, Forage for CH4nge is helping build a future in which upland farming remains both viable and environmentally responsible.

Results will emerge in early 2026. Until then, the sheep continue to graze, the seasons shift across the Dales, and a region shaped by livestock for centuries is set to understand its livestock - and its landscapes - in a new light.