Searching for economically sustainable Swedish beef production systems based on suckler cows after decoupling EU income support

After decoupling EU income support, normal Swedish systems for suckler cow-based beef production are unable to pay the costs of new investments and market wages for labour. New production systems, able to achieve full cost coverage, were identified by an expert panel. The two most profitable suggestions can be characterized as 'organic with high environmental grants and premium price for beef' and 'conventional with outdoor wintering of cows'. Both systems presuppose the availability of large areas of semi-natural pasture per cow and larger herd sizes than are now common in Sweden. Breeding progress and other biological improvements could only marginally improve the profitability.