Our thousands of New Zealand farmer owners are the heart of our Co-op. Fonterra works with them to help improve their practices, profitability and environmental efficiency.
Together, we’ll build more resilient intergenerational farming businesses. As a Co-op, we’re working together to realise the full potential of New Zealand dairy nutrition and create goodness for generations to come.
100% of Fonterra supplying New Zealand farms have a Farm Environment Plan (FEP).
Fonterra's New Zealand farmers receive an annual Farm Insights Report
Which provides farm-specific opportunities, and benchmarking on environment, animals and milk performance. This helps farmers to make decisions that support on-farm efficiency.
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.
Our pathway towards our Scope 1 and Scope 3 FLAG target
We believe that dairy has a regenerative future and Fonterra is committed to helping Fonterra farmers reduce their on-farm emissions intensity.
We’re aiming for a 30% intensity reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 3 FLAG (Forest, Land and Agriculture Guidance) greenhouse gas emissions from dairy, per tonne of fat-and-protein-correct milk, by 2030, from a 2018 baseline.
How we’re aiming to get there:
7% reduction from supporting farmers to adopt best practice farming
7% reduction through scaled up and commercially viable novel technologies
8% reduction through carbon removals from existing and new vegetation
8% from historical land-use change conversions
Farm Environment Plans
As part of our belief that dairy has a regenerative future, Fonterra’s team of Sustainable Dairying Advisors work with Fonterra farmers to develop tailored Farm Environment Plans. These plans utilise mapping technology and recommend actions to help mitigate risks on-farm. Together, we can contribute to the improvement of soil health, water qaulity, Animal wellbeing, biodiversity and reductoin of greenhouse gas emisisons.
Fonterra also provides farmers with technical guidance, tools, and support with environmental reporting.
The Co-operative Difference
The Co-operative Difference framework recognises farmers who have made positive changes and encourages other farmers to do the same. Fonterra offers additional payments above the base milk price to farms that achieve certain practices across focus areas.
The start of the journey: Te Pūtake
Farms that achieve a series of valued on-farm practices earn 7 cents per kgMS above the base milk price.
The mid-point: Te Puku
Farms that complete Te Pūtake are eligible for Te Puku achievements. This includes up to 8 cents per kgMS. These payments are received by achieving Milk Quality Excellence (3 cents per kgMS) and Emissions Excellence (1-5 cents per kgMS).
The summit: Te Tihi
We recognise farmers who consistently provide the highest quality milk.
Rural Support Trust
Fonterra formed a strategic partnership with Rural Support Trust in August 2023, which it renewed for another three years in mid-2025. The shared vision for the partnership is to support rural New Zealanders by improving access to wellbeing and resilience services for farming families who are doing it tough.
Phase one of the partnership was to gain insight into the value Rural Support brings and opportunities for the Co-op to collaborate.
Phase two of the partnership involved Fonterra supporting Rural Support Trust to thrive and embed three opportunities to improve overall experience.
- Grow their operational capability
- Promote the value they bring to communities
- Grow their reach in the primary sector