Livestock plays a vital role

Sir, – I write in response to the letter extolling the virtues of a plant-based diet (letters, January 23).

Consumers’ demand for cheap food has driven production from large arable farms and confinement systems.

Introducing livestock into arable farming systems, integrated with care, can result in a more sustainable agricultural production and help regenerate soils, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and chemicals.

Indeed many organic farms rely on livestock within their rotation to be able to grow crops without artificial nitrogen.

Roughly 5% of Scotland can be classed as good arable land.

As a country are we wanting the rest of the land that is useable for agricultural production (mainly livestock-based in the uplands) to be unproductive as a source of food for its population and cleared of inhabitants as a result or are we wanting to go down, for example, the route of importing high protein soya from ex-rainforest South American land under, as I see it, largely unsustainable soil degrading agricultural practices?

There are grazing systems and livestock rotations out there that can help regenerate soils as well as increasing biodiversity.

The beauty of using livestock is their ability to

recycle nutrients, especially carbon from plants and crop residues that we cannot eat – and this includes grass.

Red meat intakes are already below the 70g per day average recommended by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and many meat alternatives, such as beans and pulses, do not contain the full range of proteins for optimal health and are low in zinc and iron.

We need a vibrant, healthy agricultural economy in Scotland to feed our nation and livestock production can have an important part to play in achieving this aim, without detrimental environmental consequences. Douglas Christie. Durie Farm, Leven.