Methane emissions from ruminant livestock account for a large proportion of greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector. However, grazing of semi-natural grasslands by ruminants, particularly cattle, is crucial for conservation of biodiversity in Sweden. This creates a challenge for policymakers: they need to find a way to reduce emissions while maintaining our grasslands.

Different types of ruminant livestock contribute to methane emissions and conservation of semi-natural grasslands to different degrees. However, what might be best for the environment might not be the most profitable for farmers. Therefore, policy instruments might be necessary to steer farmers towards more desirable production systems from society’s perspective. The aim of this project is to investigate how to design policy instruments that cost-effectively reduce methane emissions without compromising the grazing of semi-natural grasslands. The analysis will be carried out with AgriPoliS, an agent-based model of regional agricultural structures, and completed in spring 2024.