The actual intensity of grassland use often exceeds the optimum economically, ecologically and ethologically sustainable level. A main driving force is the aim to achieve a high output of milk per cow and unsustainably high cow densities based on huge fodder imports to the farm. In many cases, this production system generates high costs and low economic and ecological sustainability. In protected areas low input strategies with low costs and several added values are a promising solution for farmers (summary of the book "Das Naturwiesland der Schweiz und Mitteleuropas"). In a second part the significance and new technics of adapted, autochthonous (local) seeds for the restoration of species rich meadows and revegetation is presented (see
www.ebeetle.ch).