The Focus Group (FG) on sustainable beef production was launched in 2020 as part of the activities carried out under the European Innovation Partnership 'Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability' (EIP-AGRI). The main question for this Focus Group was “How can grass-based* beef production systems, based on agroecology principles, remain sustainable?”. Beef production has been subject to criticism at global level mainly due to its climate and environmental footprint as well as concerns about the impact of beef consumption on health. The European beef sector also faces challenges regarding the social and economic aspects of sustainability, such as the dependence on subsidies, income differences among different regions and difficult working and living conditions for famers and their families. All these negative perceptions and challenges within the sector have led to a search for more environmentally and animal friendly production methods while at the same time improving the economic and social aspects of beef production. Innovative approaches can help the grass-based* beef sector (see definition below) to address the current challenges and become more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. When managed correctly following sustainable strategies, grass-based* beef production systems offer many benefits to society, addressing citizens’ concerns by providing many ecosystem services and public goods, partially compensating the greenhouse gas emissions of beef production. They contribute to improving biodiversity, capturing carbon, sustaining the soil microbiome, structuring the landscape, preventing erosion and forest fires. In addition, they transform resources which are non-edible to humans into human food with a high nutritional value and play a role in maintaining vital rural areas.