Dairy goodness from lush New Zealand pastures. We farm alongside nature, following the seasonal pattern of pasture growth in New Zealand.
And thanks to New Zealand’s fertile soil, abundant sunshine and temperate climate, our NZ farmers’ cows spend over 350 days a year grazing on pasture¹. Our farmers’ cows enjoy a variety of nutritious pasture in their diet including grass, grass silage, hay and forage crops (including legumes and brassicas).
Our way of farming
The pasture-based farming practiced in New Zealand is unlike farming in most of the world. Our temperate climate provides great conditions for cows to live outdoors on pasture year round. In some parts of the country, cows may be housed over the winter months, but for the rest of the year, they will be outdoors, only coming into the shed for milking or if required for animal health².
The majority of our farmers' cows diet is comprised of pasture grazed directly in the paddock, but some farmers will store excess feed where needed to give to animals at times of the year when grass growth is slower. Small amounts of non-pasture supplementary feed may also be used during times of the year to ensure cows receive adequate nutrition and animal wellbeing requirements are met.
Every drop of our grass fed milk is full of nutrition
While all dairy milk contains a unique bundle of 10 essential nutrients, including high-quality protein, bio-available calcium, potassium, zinc, magnesium and vitamins A, B2 and B12, our New Zealand milk from grass fed cows also contains higher levels of beta-carotene and the healthy fatty acid, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA).
We’re experts at growing grass
As a country, we know the importance of good grass for good milk. That’s why New Zealand has invested years of research into improving grass genetics, quality and how we grow it. The New Zealand dairy industry and Fonterra’s Farm Source team have a strong network of agronomists who support our farmers in effective grass management.
Our commitments
Nothing we grow is GMO
All feed grown in New Zealand for our farmers’ cows is from plants that are not genetically modified. In New Zealand, there are strict laws against breeding and growing GMO (Genetically Modified Organism).
New Zealand Dairy Grass-Fed Administrative Standard
New Zealand has a rich history of over 100 years of dairy farming, and it is one of the best places in the world to farm grass-fed dairy.
The New Zealand Government’s Ministry for Primary Industries has created a standard to define what constitutes a grass-fed system in New Zealand. It specifies the requirements and attributes that must be met for grass-fed certification to be issued.
Fonterra is proud that our New Zealand milk meets the requirements of the New Zealand Dairy Grass-Fed Administrative Standard, giving our customers and consumers greater trust and confidence in our grass-fed claims.
Meeting the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard
This standard requires that the below minimum requirements must be met or exceeded:
- Dairy animals have a diet comprised of at least 90% (fresh weight) on a 3 year rolling average of qualifying grass-fed feed types.
- Dairy animals are on pasture or forage crops for at least 8 hours per day, on average 340 days per year.
Fonterra’s New Zealand milk meets the requirements of the New Zealand Grass-Fed standard.
For more information on the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard visit NZ Grass-Fed Administrative Standard | NZ Government
Third Party Certification
Our Fonterra New Zealand milk continues to be third party certified against our Fonterra Grass & Pasture Fed Standard annually by AsureQuality, an independent Conformity Assessment Body (CAB).
In 2025, our Fonterra Trusted Goodness scheme was assessed as having met the criteria to be recognised by Ministry for Primary Industries under the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard.
Fonterra’s performance exceeds the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard
Fonterra’s data shows our New Zealand farmers’ cows are on average 96% grass-fed and spend on average over 350 days a year on pasture, which is above the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard’s requirements. 96% is an average measured over the previous three seasons' data³, calculated on an ‘as consumed’ basis.
Grass-fed means cows mainly grazing on grass and crops in paddocks where they roam. Some farmers may use supplementary feed, from local and or imported sources, to help support cows nutrition. Fonterra uses the terms ‘grass’ and ‘pasture’ interchangeably. Grass includes grass, grass silage, hay and forage crops (including legumes and brassicas), this is consistent with the grass-fed feed types in the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard.
Grass and Pasture Fed FAQs
What do you mean by ‘Grass-fed’?
Grass-fed means cows mainly grazing on grass and crops in paddocks where they roam. On average, our Fonterra New Zealand cows consume 96% grass, and spend over 350 days a year grazing on pasture. 96% is an average measured over the previous three seasons' data, calculated on a ‘as consumed' basis. 350 days grazing on pasture is an average calculated across our Fonterra New Zealand farms. Some farmers may use supplementary feed, from local and or imported sources, to help support cows nutrition.
Fonterra uses the terms ‘grass’ and ‘pasture’ interchangeably. Grass includes grass, grass silage, hay and forage crops (including legumes and brassicas), this is consistent with the grass-fed feed types defined in the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard.
We measure the grass-fed diet ‘as consumed’ by our cows, which is consistent with “freshweight” defined in the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard. This data is reported at a Fonterra NZ milk pool level and is reviewed annually.
For more information on the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard visit NZ Grass-Fed Administrative Standard | NZ Government
How do you know that Fonterra’s New Zealand cows spend more time on pasture than anywhere else in the world?
Of the top 15 dairy exporting countries (based on annual dairy product export volumes in 2023 and including New Zealand), only Ireland operates a similar pasture-based model to New Zealand. The study: O’Brien, D., Moran, B., Shalloo, L. (2018). A national methodology to quantify the diet of grazing dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 101, 8596-8604, shows that Irish dairy cows have access to pasture, on average, 255 days per year. The Bord Bia (Irish Food Board) 2023 statistics show an average of 240 days on pasture. Fonterra’s annual data shows that on average, in New Zealand, our farmers' cows spend more than 350 days grazing outside on pasture.
Does Fonterra’s Grass & Pasture Fed Standard reflect the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard?
The Fonterra Trusted Goodness Scheme has been assessed as having met the criteria recognised by the Ministry for Primary Industries under the New Zealand Dairy Grass-Fed Administrative Standard. Fonterra has a well established Grass and Pasture-Fed Standard. Since its establishment in 2016, Fonterra’s Standard defines the minimum requirements for the consumption of grass and time spent on pasture for Fonterra New Zealand dairy cows.
Who is the Ministry for Primary Industries?
Ministry for Primary Industries is a New Zealand government agency that is focused on supporting the success of primary industries in New Zealand. Please visit https://www.govt.nz/organisations/ministry-for-primary-industries/ for more information.
Is there a way to independently confirm Fonterra's Trusted Goodness Scheme is recognised as meeting the New Zealand government-backed definition of New Zealand grass-fed?
Yes. Approved schemes are listed on a public register maintained by the Ministry for Primary Industries on their website: NZ Grass-Fed Administrative Standard | NZ Government.
Is Fonterra's Grass & Pasture Fed Standard independently certified?
Our New Zealand Milk pool is third party certified against the Fonterra Grass & Pasture Fed Standard annually by AsureQuality, an independent Conformity Assessment Body (CAB). In 2025, our Fonterra Trusted Goodness Grass Fed scheme has been assessed as having met the criteria to be recognised by Ministry for Primary Industries under the New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard.
I buy NZMP ingredients – can I make a grass-fed claim?
Like any other claim, you are in control of the claims you wish to make and we are here to help - Learn more about how we support you through our Natural Dairy Claims programme.
Who is AsureQuality?
AsureQuality provides food assurance and biosecurity services to the food and primary production sectors worldwide. Wholly owned by the New Zealand Government, AsureQuality has built a solid reputation for delivering expert services and value to the entire food supply chain in over 40 countries worldwide.
AsureQuality is accredited by the Joint Accreditation Scheme for Australia and New Zealand (JASANZ) as a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB), enabling the independent 3rd party certification of customer systems and/or products to a very wide range of certification standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, FSSC, FSSC-Q, FMS, BRC, SQF, Global GAP, and Organics, as well as various other schemes.
How does Fonterra know it complies with the requirements of the New Zealand Grass-Fed standard?
Fonterra requires all Fonterra New Zealand farmers to provide data on feed and farm practices. The collected data allows Fonterra to determine compliance of the Fonterra New Zealand milk pool against the requirements of the Fonterra Grass & Pasture Fed Standard.
Who governs the Fonterra Grass & Pasture Fed Standard?
The Fonterra Grass and Pasture-Fed Standard is also governed by the Trusted Goodness Scheme Owners group. This group is comprised of representative stakeholders, including Fonterra Management, AsureQuality (Certification Body), representatives from the Farm Dairy Contracted Service Provider, a group of Fonterra Farmers for supplier representation, and Fonterra Subject Matter Experts for each individual Fonterra standard. This group meets annually to review the performance and integrity of the standard and helps to ensure the continuous improvement of this standard.
Important Disclaimer:
Fonterra Co-operative Group makes no representations or warranties in respect of the information contained on the Fonterra website or in this document, including representations or warranties (express or implied) concerning fitness for purpose or appropriateness (including whether such information can be used in compliance with any applicable jurisdiction) in relation to the use in connection with the marketing, promotion and sale of any third party products. Without limiting the foregoing, any use of, or reliance on, the information contained on the Fonterra website or in this document is not the responsibility of Fonterra Co-operative Group.
¹ 350 days grazing on pasture is an average calculated across our Fonterra New Zealand farms.
² Cows may also be moved off pasture to be fed supplementary feed, kept safe from adverse weather events, to support pasture management, and/or to tend to their health/nutrition.
³ A dairy season runs from 1 June to 31 May in any year. The three-year rolling figure is calculated using data from the last 3 complete seasons.