Optimising grass supply, labour, economy and mind-set to create added value from grazing

Grazing provides multiple benefits to farmers and to the wider society. While the ecosystem services provided to society are certainly appreciated, they are thus far hardly rewarded. This paper discusses topics related to creating added value from grazing by optimising grass supply, labour, economy and mind-set. New promising business models are presented, in which farmers are financially rewarded for their added value contributions. An example of a grazing system that is easy to implement is given, the "New Dutch Grazing", which optimises labour and grass utilisation. Finally, the importance of the mind-set of the farmer is discussed. Farmers are key actors when it comes to maintaining and improving grazing systems since they decide on the day-to-day management on the farm. When developing stimulating initiatives, this should be taken into account. Special attention should be paid to young farmers since they represent the next generation of farming.