Why are we growing less pasture in New Zealand? And how Holistic Planned Grazing can restore productivity and resilience.
Ata Regenerative, which monitors ecological health across more than 500,000 ha across NZ through Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV), are noticing a decline in land health and pasture production across many regions.
This trend is reinforced by research from DairyNZ, AgResearch scientist Dr Alec Mackay and leading scientists, indicating pasture harvest is dropping by up to 1 tonne of dry matter (DM) per hectare per decade in key dairying regions such as Northland, Waikato and Southland.
Studies published in the New Zealand Grassland Association Journal and reports from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment show that forage growth has plateaued, despite increasing reliance on nitrogen fertilisers and supplementary feed.
The growth surge experienced between 1990 and 2001—driven by intensification and synthetic inputs—has slowed dramatically. In recent years, the use of in-shed grain feeding, mechanisation, and feed pads has shifted management focus away from pasture. As a result, pasture has become a secondary consideration.
What’s driving the decline?
The root cause is a shift in focus: pasture is no longer central to the system. With feed now easily purchased from off farm sources and fed in-shed or on pads, growing and harvesting quality pasture has become a lower priority. This decoupling of performance from just pasture has triggered a cascade of ecological and economic consequences, as evidenced in EOV monitoring:
Reduced photosynthetic capacity
EOV assesses live canopy cover as a proxy for photosynthetic energy entering the system. The data shows widespread low canopy cover, meaning poor energy flow, reduced microbial activity, and declining plant health.
Increasing bare soil
Uncovered soil loses water and carbon and degrades every ecosystem function: energy flow, mineral cycling, water dynamics, and community interactions. Bare soil is one of the most damaging features observed and is increasing across a lot of farms monitored.
Compacted, weak soils
Visual soil assessments across more than 250 farms reveal many farms experience common problems: compaction, poor structure, shallow roots, and limited infiltration. These soils are prone to erosion and have reduced resilience.
Mineral cycle breakdown
Grazing to low residuals typical of extractive systems leaves nothing behind in the way of litter for mulch and compost to support the mineral cycle. EOV data confirms this pattern. To compensate, synthetic inputs are applied, further damaging the soil microbiome. This is a management issue, not an input issue.
Declining soil organic matter
Poor mineral cycling results in less organic material being returned to the soil, depleting fertility, structure, and water-holding capacity.
A regenerative path forward: Holistic Planned Grazing
At Ata Regenerative, we work directly with farmers across New Zealand to implement Holistic Planned Grazing (HPG), a proven, regenerative approach that restores soil function, improves resilience, and boosts long-term productivity.
Holistic Planned Grazing was originally developed by Allan Savory and forms part of the wider Holistic Management framework, and Ata Regenerative leads its application here on New Zealand soils, with deep expertise, local knowledge, and the data to back it up. We’re proud to be connected to the Global Savory Network, and the insights and outcomes we deliver are grounded in our own hands-on work with New Zealand farms and landscapes.
HPG mimics the natural behaviour of grazing animals in the wild, using high-density, short-duration grazing, followed by strategic rest. It restores soil health by stimulating biological activity, spreading manure and urine, and minimising bare soil.
It is a flexible, context-driven planning tool that adapts to each farm’s specific conditions, from climate and terrain to pasture growth and operation goals.
Ata Regenerative is currently one of the largest certified providers of Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) in the world. The farms we work with to implement Holistic Planned Grazing are producing measurable, verifiable ecological improvements:
- Increased forage cover and energy flow
- Improved drought resilience and pasture growth
- Enhanced soil structure and water retention
- Less bare soil and erosion
- Higher dry matter production without high supplement or fertiliser costs
International experience from Australia, South Africa, and the U.S. reinforces this: long-term pasture recovery, water cycle repair, and greater farm resilience are consistently reported.
Your opportunity for transformation starts here
New Zealand’s pastures are in decline, and it’s time to act. Reversing this trend requires more than tweaking inputs or chasing efficiency. It means moving beyond the reductionist mindset of industrial agriculture and embracing the land as a living system, deeply responsive to how it’s managed.
Holistic Planned Grazing offers the most effective, evidence-based pathway to regenerate pasture, restore resilience, and secure the long-term future of our dairy sector.
We provide practical training in Holistic Management, Holistic Planned Grazing, and regenerative design — equipping farmers, rural professionals, and advisors with the tools to lead change from the ground up.
This is your opportunity to be part of a transformation our landscapes urgently need.
Get in touch to explore how we can help you regenerate your land. The future of New Zealand’s pastoral systems depends on what we do next.
