The role of livestock farming in preventing wildfires
This summer, in just two European countries, Spain and Portugal, over 350,000 hectares of land went up in flames, an area equivalent to the size of the island of Mallorca. The consequences are not measured only in terms of hectares burned: entire communities have been affected, ecosystems devastated, costs already beyond 600 million euros, and massive amounts of carbon: 39.4 Mt of CO₂ emitted since the beginning of the year. Considering that a single car emits around 4 tons of CO₂ annually, this is equivalent to the emissions of nearly 10 million cars, roughly comparable to the total annual car emissions of an entire country like the Netherlands.
A disaster that repeats itself every year with increasing frequency and intensity, as reported by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, driven by climate change, the abandonment of farmland, and the accumulation of dry vegetation. Faced with such scenarios, the question is no longer why wildfires occur, but also how we can prevent them effectively. And this is where an often-overlooked factor comes into play: the role of livestock.
Livestock farming can represent a sustainable method of wildfire prevention
Wildfire prevention requires integrated strategies that encompass active forest management, surveillance, monitoring technologies, and civil protection policies. But ignoring the potential of (farm) animals would be a mistake. Today, science is clear: livestock, if properly managed, can become a valuable ally in the fight against wildfires. Cows, sheep, goats, and horses not only turn grass and shrubs into a food resource, but at the same time help reduce what researchers call the “fuel load,” the flammable biomass that feeds the flames. In many areas of Europe, particularly where agriculture has been abandoned, livestock farming can represent a sustainable, cost-effective, and multifunctional method to mitigate risks.
As explained by the Spanish veterinarian Juan Pascual, author of the book “Reasons to Be Omnivore (for Your and Planet Health)“: “Extensive livestock farming reduces combustible biomass. Animals graze on grasses and shrubs, the very material that fuels fires. Studies show that where herds are present, fires are less frequent and less intense.” The use of herbivores, domestic or wild, can represent an effective strategy to reduce the risk and intensity of wildfires, especially in areas abandoned by agriculture. When farmland is no longer cultivated, shrubs and trees tend to grow unchecked, thereby increasing the amount of flammable biomass that makes the landscape more vulnerable to fires. Herbivores, by feeding on grass, shrubs, and branches, naturally help reduce this accumulation. It has been shown that mixed herbivores, those combining grazing and browsing, are particularly effective, as is the integration of species with different feeding habits.
Promoting livestock farming in abandoned areas, a preventive measure against wildfires
Promoting livestock farming in abandoned areas is not only a preventive measure against wildfires but also an economically sustainable solution that can provide additional ecosystem services and enhance the land’s value. For this reason, agricultural, forestry, and fire management policies could more strongly encourage the use of animals as a tool for prevention. Maintaining or reintroducing pastures, whether with domestic or wild animals, is a promising strategy to protect rural areas most exposed to wildfire risk.
“History confirms it,” – Juan Pascual says in his recent LinkedIn post – “The extinction of large herbivores during the Quaternary led to a dramatic increase in wildfires, as shown in research from several U.S. universities.” Normally, when studying the causes and dynamics of wildfires, the focus is placed primarily on the influence of climate, while the effects of grazing remain less investigated. To explore this aspect, researchers considered the extinctions of herbivorous megafauna as a kind of “natural experiment,” useful for understanding how the presence or absence of herbivores influenced wildfire frequency. Through the analysis of fossil charcoal deposits, used as indicators of past fires, it was found that after these extinctions, the frequency and intensity of grassland fires increased significantly. The rise was particularly marked on continents that lost the greatest number of large grazers, while the disappearance of browsers, animals that feed mainly on shrubs and branches, did not produce the same effect. Thus, large grazers played a crucial role in shaping fire regimes, and these effects must be taken into account both when reconstructing the planet’s history and when attempting to predict future dynamics of global wildfires.
Farm animals represent an ecological resource
Farm animals, therefore, represent an ecological resource, low-cost and capable of creating value. “What at first glance looks like ‘dry grass’ actually becomes high-quality protein, in the form of meat and milk, while at the same time sustaining rural employment and the cultural landscapes that define much of our countryside,” – Juan Pascual explains – “But there is an increasingly evident problem: the rural population is shrinking and ageing. The countryside is emptying, and without farmers and herders, vegetation accumulates until it turns into fuel ready to ignite devastating fires.
What can we do? First of all, support those who remain. Farmers take care of animals every day, manage the land responsibly, and provide us with food. But that is not enough: we must also value their products, because without consumption there is no future for sheep, goats, and cattle. If demand for meat and milk falls drastically, the animals will also disappear, and with them the grazing that helps control vegetation and protect our landscapes.”
The importance of good policies
Another crucial point concerns policies. The CAP already provides financial support, but in the future, it may be necessary to recognise and remunerate the ecosystem services that agriculture and livestock farming provide, such as carbon sequestration and wildfire prevention. “Some cities, such as Barcelona, have begun experimenting with the use of goats to clear peri-urban forests,” – Pascual notes – “A step in the right direction, but insufficient if, at the same time, policies are adopted that stigmatise, for example, the consumption of red meat in schools. We cannot ask for more livestock for environmental reasons while simultaneously discouraging the consumption of the products they provide.”
In the end, what research confirms today was well known to herders of the past: a meadow or woodland grazed by animals does not accumulate weeds and undergrowth, and therefore is far less likely to burn. Looking ahead to wildfire prevention, we may need to draw once again on this ancient alliance between humans, nature, and animals.