British Sheep Farming Collapse: Rewilding, Carbon Offsets, and What It Means for Lamb Prices

British sheep farming is at its lowest point in four decades, and the article argues that the shift is not just about economics. Hill farmers face rising input costs and falling wool prices, while government policy and private carbon offset buyers push upland land toward tree planting and peatland restoration. That creates a direct trade-off between domestic food production and land-based carbon removal. The piece also looks at what that means for consumers: less local lamb, higher prices, and more imports from New Zealand and Australia, which can carry a heavier carbon footprint. It raises the question of whether rewilding and offset-driven land use change are being managed with enough attention to food security and whole-system emissions. Worth reading for anyone tracking how carbon markets and land use policy are physically reshaping rural economies.