Pastoral systems face increasing pressure from competing global markets, food sector industrialization, and new policies such as Europe’s post-2020 Common Agriculture Policy. This pressure threatens the use of extensive sheep-grazing systems in mountain areas of low productivity but high natural value. Using information gathered at a long-term research setting in a mountainous area of the Basque Country (northern Spain), we assessed the multiple benefits of extensive dairy sheep grazing systems from multiple perspectives using indicators pertaining to ecological, socio-economic, and food quality domains. In this way, we address the benefits that would be lost if sheep grazing abandonment persists in mountain regions. Our results show that the benefits of extensive dairy sheep grazing in the research area include the production of healthy and high-quality foods and multiple ecological benefits including biodiversity conservation. Extensive dairy sheep grazing also contributes to rural development by generating employment and income in marginal, low-productivity lands that can support few economic alternatives. In particular, we found that sheep farmers who produce high-value products, such as cheese, have enhanced their economic profitability and are less dependent on public subsidies. However, careful attention to sustainable practices, support for new generations of farmers, and streamlined supply chains are required. These would contribute to ensure socio-economic benefits for farmers, avoid the ecological costs associated with grazing abandonment, and enhance ecosystem services for the whole society.

牧区系统面临来自竞争激烈的全球市场、食品行业工业化以及欧洲 2020 年后共同农业政策等新政策的日益增加的压力。这种压力威胁到在生产力低但自然价值高的山区广泛使用绵羊放牧系统。利用在巴斯克地区（西班牙北部）山区的长期研究环境中收集的信息，我们使用与生态、社会经济和食品质量相关的指标，从多个角度评估了广泛的奶羊放牧系统的多重效益域。通过这种方式，我们解决了如果羊群在山区持续放牧将失去的利益。我们的研究结果表明，在研究区域广泛放牧奶羊的好处包括生产健康和优质的食品以及包括生物多样性保护在内的多种生态效益。广泛的奶羊放牧也有助于农村发展，因为它可以在边际、低生产力的土地上创造就业机会和收入，而这些土地几乎无法支持经济替代方案。特别是，我们发现生产奶酪等高价值产品的牧羊人提高了他们的经济盈利能力，并且减少了对公共补贴的依赖。然而，需要认真关注可持续实践、支持新一代农民和简化供应链。这些将有助于确保农民的社会经济效益，避免与放牧相关的生态成本，