Taking Stock: Cows, climate, and conservation
Taking Stock
A Journey Among Cows
Roger Morgan-Grenville’s Taking Stock takes you on an insightful journey through the world of cows, intertwining his personal reflections with a broader look at the challenges of modern farming.
Even for those whose views may differ from the author’s on key topics around eating meat, the book provides a refreshingly balanced perspective on the environmental impact of livestock, offering thought-provoking insights on how cows fit into the complex conversation around sustainability, food systems, and our future relationship with agriculture.
Picking up Taking Stock — A Journey Among Cows for the first time in your local Waterstones, you would be forgiven for assuming that Roger Morgan-Grenville’s latest book is yet another attempt by the meat industry to sway public opinion, positioning cows as unfairly scapegoated in the climate crisis debate.
Yet the book is far from 368 pages of monologuing persuasion, instead offering an exploration of one of the most unassuming yet deeply impactful animals in human history: the humble cow.
Yes, cows—but stick with me.
Far from a dry agricultural treatise or a sentimental pastoral celebration, Taking Stock offers a blend of memoir, social commentary, and investigative journalism. Through various accounts of interactions with farmers, veterinarians, and even the cows themselves, Morgan-Grenville attempts (somewhat convincingly — and this from an ardent vegetarian) to answer larger questions about our relationship with these animals and the future of the livestock industry in relation to our changing world.
For 10,000 years, cow and human lives have been intertwined...and yet most of us know little about them.
Rather than taking a romanticised or overly nostalgic view of pastoral life, Morgan-Grenville acknowledges the very real pressures that farmers face today.
For many, cows may seem an unlikely—and equally unappealing—subject to sacrifice precious downtime. In the popular imagination, they are creatures that exist mostly in the background of our lives, giving us milk, butter, and the occasional steak, but without much thought or concern.
And yet as the story of their role in our lives and the genuine impact they have had on generations of farming families and the communities they have supported unfolds, Taking Stock reveals how cows are central to discussions about animal welfare, food security, climate change, and even our own human identity.
In doing so, the book unearths not only the complexity of our relationship with a seemingly innocuous farmyard staple, but also what they mean for our future existence.
Morgan-Grenville, a former soldier turned author, conservationist, and keen amateur beekeeper, approaches the topic with a deep curiosity that seems to drive all of his work.
From the very beginning, it’s clear that Taking Stock is a reflection of Morgan-Grenville’s personal exploration. His curiosity about cows begins as a vague interest in understanding why these creatures have played such an outsized role in human life.
This curiosity soon turns into an obsession, leading him on a journey across the British countryside, where he meets an eclectic cast of characters, each with their own unique connection to cattle.
The author’s voice is immediately engaging. There’s a wry wit that carries the reader through even the more technical or potentially dry sections—whether he’s recounting a frustrating day spent trying to navigate a farmer’s bureaucracy or describing the wonder of a newborn calf finding its legs for the first time, the book never fails to bring a warmth and humour, making it as enjoyable as it is informative.
I imagine most readers are keenist to discover how the book interrogates modern farming practices, given the conflicting rhetoric we hear from both sides of the meat-eating debate.
Rather than taking a romanticised or overly nostalgic view of pastoral life, Morgan-Grenville acknowledges the very real pressures that farmers face today. Through his interviews with dairy farmers, beef producers, and industry experts, he sheds light on the economic, environmental, and emotional challenges that come with raising cattle in the 21st century.
His cultural analysis adds a rich layer of depth to a heavy topic, reminding you that our relationship with cows is not just a modern concern, but one that has evolved over millennia.
What shouldn’t be under-rated, is the author’s reluctance to shy away from discussing the environmental impact of cattle farming, a subject that is increasingly difficult to ignore in today’s discussions about climate change.
Morgan-Grenville delves into key issues with a critical yet balanced approach. He speaks to environmentalists who argue for reducing cattle farming totally, but also to farmers who are working to develop more sustainable practices, such as regenerative grazing or methane-reducing feed supplements.
One of the standout sections of the book covers time he spends on a regenerative farm. Here, Morgan-Grenville offers a glimpse into the potential future of cattle farming where cows can be part of the solution to environmental degradation rather than the problem.
The author is clearly impressed by the innovation and commitment of these farmers, but he is also careful not to paint too rosy a picture. The economic realities of scaling up such operations are daunting, and Morgan-Grenville makes it clear that there are no easy answers to the environmental challenges posed by cattle farming.
In addition to examining the practicalities of raising cows, Taking Stock also delves into their cultural significance.
Morgan-Grenville takes the reader on a captivating journey through history, showing how cows have been central to the development of human civilisation—from their role in ancient religious rituals to their importance in shaping diets and economies.
One particularly memorable passage discusses their symbolism in different cultures, exploring how they have been worshipped as sacred animals, created into a symbol of industrial progress in the West during the Industrial Revolution, and commodified on a truly monumental scale reflected in the modern factory-farming we see around the world today.
His cultural analysis adds a rich layer of depth to a heavy topic, reminding you that our relationship with cows is not just a modern concern, but one that has evolved over millennia.
While Taking Stock is primarily focused on the broader implications of cattle farming, Morgan-Grenville also touches on the ethical considerations of raising cows for food.
The question of animal welfare looms large throughout the book, most prolifically when the author visits slaughterhouses or industrial farms. He is candid about the discomfort these experiences cause him, and his reflections on the morality of killing animals for food add a sobering dimension to the book.
What’s arguably most refreshing about Morgan-Grenville’s approach, however, is that he doesn’t offer easy solutions.
Instead, he acknowledges the complexity of the issue, recognising that while veganism or vegetarianism might seem like moral imperatives for some, for others—particularly farmers whose livelihoods depend on cattle—the situation is far more complicated.
Rather than taking a didactic stance, Morgan-Grenville encourages the reader to engage with these difficult questions and form their own conclusions.
One of the more contemporary issues the book addresses is the rise of carbon credits as a way for companies to offset their emissions.
Morgan-Grenville critically examines whether these schemes are truly effective or merely a way for corporations to maintain “business as usual” while paying lip service to sustainability. In the context of cattle farming, carbon credits have become a buzzword in the push for "greener" practices, with companies buying credits to offset the emissions produced by cattle.
Morgan-Grenville is sceptical about the long-term efficacy of such schemes. While acknowledging that carbon credits can help fund important conservation projects, he questions whether they can truly make up for the environmental impact of large-scale cattle farming, arguing that without systemic change in farming practices, carbon credits might be little more than a band-aid on a much larger problem.
The book culminates in Morgan-Grenville’s personal view of the future of cattle farming.
He doesn’t succumb to despair or pessimism, but neither does he suggest that there are simple solutions to the environmental and ethical challenges posed by cows. Instead, he leaves the reader with a sense of cautious optimism, highlighting the innovations and movements within the farming community that are working toward a more sustainable future.
While Taking Stock raises many questions about the future of farming, it is also a celebration of the humble cow.
Morgan-Grenville’s affection for these animals is clear, and as you turn the final page, readers are likely to feel the same.
Cows, it turns out, are far more fascinating than they might appear at first glance. They are not only integral to human history but also central to the ongoing debate about how we can live more sustainably on this planet.