Chris Packham, a well-known British vegan naturalist and broadcaster, has reignited the debate on upland environmental management with a compelling opinion piece published in The Guardian on July 15th. In the article titled “Sheep are destroying precious British habitats – and we taxpayers are footing the bill,” Packham argues that the widespread practice of sheep grazing across the UK’s uplands, including Dartmoor, is severely damaging biodiversity and natural habitats. He claims that taxpayers are inadvertently subsidising this environmental destruction through current agricultural policies and subsidy frameworks. On this, he writes, “From the 1970s to the 1990s, farmers and commoners were paid per head of animal – so the more you grazed, the more cash you got.”
Packham emphasises how overgrazing by sheeps disrupts ecosystems, leading to habitat degradation and loss of native flora and fauna. He warns that urgent reform is needed in how upland farming is supported to protect biodiversity and ensure environmental sustainability. His article calls for a rethink of subsidy allocation and land-use practices, suggesting that current models are outdated and harm the natural heritage of Britain’s countryside.
Peckham writes: “In a recent Natural England survey of Dartmoor’s protected sites, only 26 out of 22,494 hectares (55,583 acres) were found to be in an ecologically favourable condition – that’s 0.1%. All the blanket bogs and all the heathland surveyed are in an appalling state, and in many places these once wonderful habitats are in decline.”
Packham, widely respected for his conservation work, has previously warned of an “ecological apocalypse” in the UK, citing drastic declines in wildlife across many habitats.
Unsurprisingly, the piece has drawn swift and strong reactions from representatives of the destructive animal agriculture industry. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and National Sheep Association have publicly contested Packham’s claims, describing them as “deeply misleading.” However, deception is an intrinsic part of this industry (portraying animals who endure horrible lives while farmed as if they are having a good time roaming free in the countryside), so such a reaction is, at the very least, hypocritical.
