Dairy goodness from lush New Zealand pastures. Fonterra cows graze on lush, green pastures.
And thanks to New Zealand’s fertile soil, abundant sunshine and temperate climate, our NZ farmers’ cows spend 97% of their non-milking time grazing outdoors 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
Pasture-based farming is a unique 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.
私たちの約束
遺伝子組み換え作物は一切使用していません
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).
Fonterra Grass & Pasture Fed Standard
The Fonterra Grass & Pasture Fed Standard is an internally developed standard that defines the minimum requirements for the consumption of grass and time spent on pasture for Fonterra New Zealand dairy cows on an average, annual basis.
Our New Zealand milk is third party certified against our Fonterra Grass & Pasture Fed Standard annually by AsureQuality, an independent Conformity Assessment Body (CAB).
To be considered ‘Grass-fed’ under the Fonterra Standard, the following minimum requirements must be met or exceeded across the Fonterra New Zealand milk pool:
- “Grass” comprises at least 80% of the diet calculated on a “dry matter” basis.
- Cows spend at least 90% of their non “milking time” outside on pasture.
Performance against our Standard
- Fonterra’s farmers’ cows’ diet is predominantly made up of grass and crops. To help support cows’ nutrition, some farmers may use small amounts of supplementary feed (includes non-grass derived feed).
- The data from Fonterra’s farmer suppliers in New Zealand over the last three seasons³, shows that, on average, 96% of Fonterra cows’ diet on an “as consumed basis” is grass and crops. This is equivalent to 89% on a dry weight basis.
- The data from Fonterra’s farmer suppliers in New Zealand over the last three seasons³, shows that, on average, Fonterra cows spend 97% of their non “milking time” outside on pasture.
Definitions from our Standard
- “As consumed” refers to the weight of the feed the cow consumes, including all the water content.
- “Dry weight” or “dry matter” refers to the amount of a feedstuff that is remaining after all the free moisture is removed. As different feeds have different moisture levels, “dry weight” is a metric commonly used in the New Zealand dairy industry as it enables easy comparison of the nutrient component across a range of different feed types. We report on both an “as consumed” and “dry matter” basis due to our various certification processes and requirements under the Fonterra Standard.
- “Grass and Pasture” is classified as grass, grass silage, hay and forage crops (including legumes and brassicas) in the Fonterra Standard.
- “Milking time” means the period that dairy cows are walked to and from the milking shed and the time taken to perform milking
¹ Our New Zealand farmers’ cows spend on average 97% of their non-milking time outside on pasture. Average is measured over previous three seasons’ data and subject to minor variation. Calculation excludes milking times, because this only accounts for being off pasture for on average up to 3 hours per day.
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.