This means that the animals must have has access to outdoor grazing for at least 120 days per year, 6 hours per day, on the dairy farm or origin. Dairy farmers receive a supplement of 10 euro cents per kilo, on top of the market price.

Jan van Westreenen (director of Ameco) sees the added value of grazing beef for both customer and farmer: “We see that our buyers value animal welfare, not just at our product location but also in the chains prior to this. Buyers want quality meat the origin of which is clear. We can now provide our customers with certified grass-fed beef that has come from Dutch grazing cows for which the dairy farmers have received a supplement. This is a plus point for our customers and for the dairy farmers who supply to us.” He adds: “Ameco thus contributes to the availability of Dutch grazing beef on the market and in this way also tries to stimulate shorter chains.”