Thanks to New Zealand's fertile soil, abundant sunshine and temperate climate, our cows spent the majority of their time grazing outdoors on lush green grass.
Our natural farming approach means our cows live long and healthy lives. They don't often need antibiotics and they have some of the lowest somatic cell counts in the world, which gives us high quality milk.
Being out in the open air has positive benefits for our cows.
Pasture provides both natural nutrition and a soft surface for cows to rest and roam. They are exposed to lower levels of environmental bacteria, making them less susceptible to disease. Pasture-based dairy farming also lets cows exhibit their natural behaviours, freely choosing where to eat, drink and who to socially interact with.
Our cows spend over 350 days a year grazing on pasture*.
96% of New Zealand cows’ diet is grass, grass silage, hay and forage crops (including legumes and brassicas)*.
Animal Wellbeing Plans
92% of Fonterra supplying New Zealand farms have Animal Wellbeing Plans (AWP) in place.
For the 2025/26 season, having a veterinarian agreed AWP in place that is updated each season is embedded into our Fonterra Farmers’ Terms of Supply.
Cared for Cows
Our independently-certified Cared for Cows Standard proactively supports animal wellbeing.
Our Cared for Cows Standard formalises the process for assessing and managing animal wellbeing on Fonterra farms. Monitoring animal wellbeing indicators helps to identify at-risk farms and provide appropriate support.
* Our Fonterra New Zealand cows spend on average 350 days grazing on pasture and have a diet which is 96% grass, calculated on an ‘as consumed’ basis and averaged over the previous three seasons data. Grass-fed means cows mainly grazing on grass and crops in paddocks where they roam. For more information, click here.