Authentic Grassfed Principles

For millennia, grazing animals like buffalo, cattle, and sheep were not just food, but land stewards. Their trampling and chomping helped fertilize grasslands, contributing to soil health and biodiversity. By raising livestock, humans could turn inedible grasses into milk, cheese, meat, and countless other foods. This alliance between land, animals, and people was honed by Indigenous populations around the world. But as American agriculture industrialized, most animals were moved into confinement.

Today, raising animals on grass can feel nostalgic, but it's an essential practice for restoring land, fighting climate change, and creating a healthier food system for us all. Individuals and institutions putting their purchase dollars behind Authentic Grassfed products is one of the many levers needed to support a grassfed supply chain.

Farming this way isn’t simple, and it’s a journey. For farmers, ranchers, and brands that raise and sell Authentic Grassfed products, it can be difficult to explain to buyers how their meat and dairy are different. Non-Authentic, non-verified brands that have claimed the label and diluted the marketplace confuse buyers further. In partnership with the leading grassfed certifiers in the U.S., we developed ten Authentic Grassfed Principles to help buyers understand what practices are core to grassfed and to know what labels to look for.