Info to share

We want to help you share the facts about how red meat is produced in New Zealand. You can download as many as you like and share them with others.

We don’t need you to give us credit for images used but we would appreciate it if you tag us. Please note these are for sharing information but are not intended for commercial use.

Our animals

NZ sheep and beef cattle - free range and pasture fed, as nature intended

NZ is among the lowest global users of antibiotics - and we don't use hormonal growth promotants

Our environment

An infographic showing two outlined sheep on grass, one labeled “NZ” and smaller than the larger “Global average” sheep, with text explaining that New Zealand sheep and beef production has a carbon footprint about half the global average and “makingmeatbetter.nz” at the bottom.

An infographic showing a simple outlined paddock with cows and sheep inside and a downward arrow beside text explaining that New Zealand’s sheep and beef sector uses 4 million fewer hectares of land than it did 30 years ago, with “makingmeatbetter.nz” at the bottom.

An infographic split into two green panels, with the left stating that New Zealand’s sheep and beef sector is progressing toward net carbon neutrality by 2050 beside a cow silhouette, and the right showing a downward arrow and text noting a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, with “makingmeatbetter.nz” included.

An infographic comparing land use and irrigation in New Zealand farming, showing icons of livestock and crops with figures indicating that sheep and beef farms use most of the land but a small share of irrigation, while horticulture and arable farms use little land but a larger share of irrigation, with “makingmeatbetter.nz” at the bottom.

An infographic showing a green‑outlined farmland block filled with stylized green trees, alongside text stating that nearly 20% of New Zealand sheep and beef farmland is covered by woody vegetation.

Infographic stating that 93% of New Zealand sheep and beef farmland is not suitable for growing food crops because the land is rolling or steep. A simple illustration at the top shows a rolling hillside above a flat strip of land, with a small green crop icon and tick symbol indicating the limited area suitable for cropping. The large “93%” is displayed prominently in brown text, with the supporting statement in dark grey.

Infographic illustrating the role of trees and vegetation in offsetting agricultural emissions. A line drawing of a tree stands beside a sheep and a grazing cow on grassland, with a blue arrow pointing from the livestock area toward the tree, suggesting carbon sequestration. Text on a green panel reads: “Significant areas of carbon-sequestering woody vegetation offset a substantial amount of our on-farm agricultural emissions.

Infographic stating that New Zealand sheep and beef farms, on average, leach far lower levels of nitrogen into waterways than other food-producing systems. The illustration compares a sheep and beef farming system on the left with vegetable crops on the right. Beneath each land surface, clusters of dark dots represent nitrogen leaching, with noticeably fewer dots shown under the sheep and beef farm than under the vegetable crops.

Infographic about New Zealand sheep and beef farming showing a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since 1990 while production levels have remained stable. On the left, a large speech-bubble shape contains livestock icons and a downward arrow beside “30%,” labelled “Greenhouse gas emissions.” An arrow points to the right, where a bar chart and a meat-on-scales icon represent “Production levels stable.

Infographic stating that New Zealand sheep and beef farms are producing more from less since 1990. The graphic shows a reduction in sheep numbers from 50 million sheep to 27 million sheep, highlighted by a large downward arrow. A sheep icon is connected by an equals sign to an illustration of meat on weighing scales, indicating that similar levels of meat are produced despite having significantly fewer sheep.

nfographic about biodiversity on New Zealand sheep and beef farms. The headline reads, "NZ farmers care about their biodiversity." Large green text highlights that 24% of New Zealand's total native vegetation is on sheep and beef farmland. Green line illustrations depict native trees, grasses, shrubs, and a flying native bird.

Infographic comparing New Zealand lamb production in 1990 and 2020. The left side shows that the average lamb carcass weight was 14.4 kg in 1990 and there was 1 lamb born per ewe on average. The right side shows that by 2020, the average lamb carcass weight had increased to 18.6 kg and the average number of lambs born per ewe had increased to 1.3. Icons of lamb carcasses on scales and lamb silhouettes illustrate the comparison.

A stylized illustration of a tree, cow, and sheep on a green landscape with beige background, accompanied by text stating that 13% of New Zealand sheep and beef farm area is covered by native forest, with “makingmeatbetter.nz” written vertically on the left.

A beige graphic featuring a green outline map of New Zealand dotted with small circles, alongside text explaining that sheep and beef farms contain the largest amount of native vegetation outside public conservation land, with “makingmeatbetter.nz” at the bottom left.

A light blue and green infographic showing stylized rain falling above simple outlines of a cow and a sheep on grass, with text explaining that most water used for New Zealand beef and lamb production comes from rainwater rather than irrigation, and “makingmeatbetter.nz” at the bottom.

An infographic comparing extracted water use for New Zealand red meat, showing a cow icon labeled “210 L per kilo of beef” and a sheep icon labeled “46 L per kilo of lamb,” with the note that the sector uses very little irrigation water and the source “makingmeatbetter.nz.”

An infographic comparing land use and irrigation in New Zealand farming, with icons of livestock and crops beside bars showing that sheep and beef farms use most of the land but a small share of irrigation, while horticulture and arable farms use little land but a larger share of irrigation

Our communities

An infographic with a green house icon containing three simplified people, alongside text stating that the red meat sector contributes an average of $3,300 per year to every New Zealand household, with “makingmeatbetter.nz” at the bottom.

An infographic with a central dollar‑sign icon connected to smaller people icons, alongside text stating that the red meat sector generates $12 billion in income per year for New Zealand, with “makingmeatbetter.nz” at the bottom.

An infographic on a beige background showing rows of blue icons representing pairs of people, with one single‑person icon, alongside text stating that over 90% of New Zealand sheep and beef farms are family owned, and “makingmeatbetter.nz” at the bottom

An infographic on a beige background showing a triangular cluster of stylized human figures above text stating that the red meat sector generates 92,000 New Zealand jobs, with “makingmeatbetter.nz” at the bottom.

An infographic with a green Māori design and bold “Māori” heading, showing two sections: one stating that Māori make up nearly 40% of the meat‑processing workforce with a meat icon, and another noting that over 15% of sheep and beef exports come from Māori farming interests, with “makingmeatbetter.nz” at the bottom.