Grass Fed

Certified Grassfed by A Greener World (AGW) Standards

Overview

The Certified Grassfed by A Greener World (CG) standards are an optional addition to the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW (AWA) beef and dairy cattle, meat and dairy sheep, meat and dairy goat, and bison standards.

These standards do not stand alone and cannot be applied in isolation. In order for animals to be approved as Certified Grassfed by AGW, they must also be approved under the AWA species-specific standards.

For information on animal management, health care, pasture management, housing and shelter, transport, and other requirements, please see AWA standards for beef, dairy cattle, sheep, dairy sheep, goats, dairy goats, and bison on AGW’s website.

Note: If a farm receives a non-compliance for AWA standard 4.0.4, their CG status may be revoked.

AWA Standard 4.0.4

Animals must be maintained at body condition score 4 or above on a 1-9 scale or body condition score 2 or above on a 1-5 scale.

G17.0 Feeding Grassfed Animals

Important Note

If grain or other products prohibited under the CG Standards have been fed in order to maintain the health and welfare of some animals within the CG herd or flock, it may be possible to maintain CG status on other, fully grassfed animals in the herd or flock, provided:

• The farm is open about the fact that some animals have been fed non-forage feed.
• Records of the animals fed non-forage feed are maintained.
• The animals can be clearly identified.
• No animals or products from those animals are marketed as CG.
• AGW is provided with details of the number of animals not compliant with CG standards.

G17.0.1

With the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning, the diet of grassfed animals must solely be derived from grass and forage throughout their lives.

Note: Forage is defined as any edible herbaceous plant material that can be grazed or harvested for feeding, with the exception of grain. Forage-based diets can be derived from:

• Grass (annual and perennial)
• Forbs (e.g., legumes, Brassica)
• Browse

G17.0.2

Animals cannot be fed grain, grain by-products, or any other form of feed concentrate.

G17.0.3

The following feedstuffs are specifically prohibited:

• Grains
• Dry harvested legumes (pea, bean, lupin)
• Corn/Maize
• Soya
• Grain residue or by-products, including distillers grains
• Sprouted grains

Note: A lack of a specific prohibition for any feed or supplement within these standards does not imply that its use is permitted.

Farms experiencing drought or other emergencies may apply for a derogation to feed sprouted grains (sometimes known as “fodder”) up to a maximum of 25% of daily dry matter intake. Derogation must be requested and accepted prior to use.

G17.0.4

Supplementary hay, haylage, baleage, silage, crop residue (straw) without grain, and other sources of natural roughage must never be used to replace good animal and pasture management.

Note: During the growing season, livestock stocking density and pasture management should ensure nutritional needs are met through grazing.

G17.0.5

Grazing cereal crop residues after harvest for grain is prohibited.

Note: Consumption of seeds naturally attached to herbage, forage, and browse is considered incidental and acceptable.

Grazing vegetative re-growth of harvested grain fields is permitted if:

• 75% of the field is covered by vegetative re-growth, and
• Average re-growth height is at least eight inches.

G17.0.6

Mineral and vitamin supplements must not include prohibited ingredients from these standards or AWA species-specific standards.

Examples of prohibited ingredients:

• Animal by-products
• Fishmeal
• Sub-therapeutic antibiotics
• Organophosphates

G17.0.7

Supplements must not include urea.

G17.0.8

Molasses may only be used as a carrier for mineral and/or vitamin supplements.

Note: This prohibits adding liquid molasses to hay to increase energy intake.

G17.0.9

If inadvertent exposure to non-forage feedstuff occurs, the incident must be recorded.

G17.0.10

Records of any non-forage supplement must be maintained along with identification of the animals that consumed them.

G17.0.11

Meat from animals fed non-forage feedstuffs may not be sold under the AWA Grassfed label.

G17.1 Pasture Access for Grassfed Animals

G17.1.1

Recommended: Stocking rates and pasture management should encourage plant biodiversity.

G17.2 Source and Records for Grassfed Animals

G17.2.1

Grassfed store or feeder stock must be sourced from other CG farms and have been managed to grassfed standards from birth.

Note: Animals sourced from other AWA farms that do not hold grassfed approval cannot be sold under the AWA Grassfed label.

G17.2.2

Grassfed animals must be traceable throughout their entire lives from birth to slaughter.

G17.2.3

Records must be maintained identifying all animals purchased, sold, or slaughtered as part of the CG program.

G17.3 Additional Standards for Grassfed Cow Dairy Farms

Note: These standards apply only to cow dairies and are not required for sheep or goat dairies.

G17.3.1

Farms seeking certification must have been certified by AWA for at least one audit cycle.

G17.3.2

Farms must have practiced 100% grassfed feeding for at least one year before becoming CG certified.

G17.3.3

Grassfed cow dairies must conduct forage testing of:

• Hay
• Haylage
• Silage
• Baleage

Whether home-produced or purchased.

G17.3.4

Forage test results must be used to ensure the herd's diet is balanced.

G17.4 Rearing Dairy Calves

G17.4.1

Dairy calves must receive at least 1 gallon (4 litres) of milk per calf per day for the first eight weeks.

G17.4.2

Dairy calves must receive at least 0.5 gallons (2 litres) of milk per calf per day from eight to twelve weeks of age.

G17.4.3

Recommended: Dairy calves should receive at least 0.25 gallons (1 litre) of milk per calf per day from twelve to fourteen weeks.

G17.4.4

Recommended: Dairy calves should be reared by their mothers or foster mothers until at least six weeks old.

G17.4.5

Recommended: Dairy calves should be fed whole cow's milk—not milk replacer—until at least six weeks old.

G17.4.6

High-quality forages must be provided when dairy calves are weaned.

G17.5 Land Management

G17.5.1

Certified farms must not clear primary or old-growth secondary forests for conversion to agricultural land.

Note:

• Primary forests are forests of native tree species with no clearly visible signs of human activity.
• Old-growth forests have existed for at least 120 years without major disturbance from fire, windstorms, or logging.

G17.5.2

Any land converted from primary or old-growth secondary forest within the last 15 years must not be used for certified production.

Note: This applies regardless of whether the current or previous landowner cleared the land.

Certified animals may not graze this land, and forage intended for certified animals may not be grown on it.

Exception: An exception may be granted where clear-cutting is a recognized sustainable practice.