Livestock Farming
Livestock Farming Certification
About the certification
Friend of the Earth livestock farming certification assesses the production of livestock products against environmental, animal-management and social criteria. It examines how farms manage their land and resources, care for their animals and document their production practices.
Certification applies to the products and farming activities included in the approved scope. The assessment identifies the farms, animals and production system involved, so buyers can check what a certificate actually covers.
What can be certified
Livestock products, including milk and meat, can be assessed within a defined farming scope. Individual farms and farmers’ cooperatives can apply. Your application should identify the proposed products, animal species and breeds, farm locations and any crop production connected with the farming system.
Poultry, insect farming and honey production have separate assessment documents. Contact us to confirm the appropriate route for your products.
What the standard covers
Farms maintain documented policies and working procedures, assign a person to oversee their implementation and keep supporting records. Staff training, emergency arrangements and equipment maintenance help put those procedures into practice.
Checks include evidence of compliance with applicable environmental legislation and the farm’s veterinary or health identification. The farm provides the relevant records and authorisations for review.
Farms identify and protect natural ecosystems on their land and avoid damaging designated conservation areas. Historical ecosystem conversion is documented and addressed through an expert-supported mitigation plan where applicable. Waterways are protected from erosion and agricultural runoff, with natural vegetation maintained or restored.
Measures cover vulnerable and threatened species, their habitats and areas used by migrating wildlife. Hunting, capture and wildlife trade are restricted to specifically authorised activities that exclude endangered species and avoid damage to important ecosystem functions.
Chemicals, fuels, oils and other hazardous materials are stored and handled to prevent contamination of food and the surrounding environment. Purchasing, transport, use and disposal follow applicable legislation and controls for worker safety.
Where crops are grown, farms keep cultivation records and use crop rotation or permitted equivalent practices. Pest management combines appropriate agricultural and biological methods with controlled pesticide use. Inputs classified as highly toxic under applicable legislation are prohibited.
Animal care and transport are assessed against the Five Freedoms, including avoidance of ongoing confinement in cages, crates or through tethering. Slaughter methods must produce immediate insensibility followed by death while the animal remains insensate. Genetically modified animals are excluded. Farms maintain identification, feeding and veterinary-treatment records, use approved medicines and provide suitable medicine storage. Feeding plans also address conversion of feed into milk or meat.
Farms record soil characteristics, including cover, organic matter, biological activity, nutrients and degradation. They establish conservation objectives and review results annually, adjusting their management practices when needed.
Checks cover water sources, abstraction permissions and the quality of non-mains water. Wastewater discharges must meet applicable legal limits and avoid degrading receiving waters. Additional discharge limits apply where legislation does not specify them.
Farms identify greenhouse-gas sources from crops, livestock, animal waste and feed production, alongside dust and particulate emissions. They set reduction objectives and management measures. Controls also address pesticide drift and the exclusion of ozone-depleting substances.
Farms separate waste, recover suitable materials and document disposal. Manure storage and application are managed to prevent leakage and pollution, with appropriate composting and use as fertiliser. Plans also cover animals that die on the farm and milk unsuitable for food use.
Annual energy records include purchased energy, on-farm generation, transport fuels and farm machinery. Farms establish reduction objectives and ways to assess progress, alongside a commitment to renewable energy and the prescribed arrangements where supply is not entirely renewable.
Checks cover child-labour rules, wages at least equal to the legal minimum, access to healthcare and workplace safety. Employment records and conditions observed on the farm support the assessment.
Traceability from farm to product
Animal identification connects production records with the livestock being assessed. For cattle, this includes an animal register, ear identification and historical records tracing animals back to birth. Feeding and veterinary records provide further evidence of how the animals are managed.
For products moving through processing and distribution, traceability controls identify certified products and keep them separate from non-certified products. These controls also cover staff training, checks on the traceability system and procedures for recall or withdrawal. A certified farm or supplier does not automatically make every finished product eligible to carry the label.
Independent certification
An independent certification body carries out the assessment, reviewing farm records and the relevant production activities. Audit findings and any corrective actions are reviewed before a certification decision is made.
For cooperatives, annual checks use a verified sample of member farms. Contact our team to confirm the assessment arrangements for your proposed scope.
How certification works
1 Apply: Submit the Preliminary Information Form with the products, farms, animals and production activities you want assessed.
2 Confirm scope and costs: Review the proposed scope, agreement and certification body’s audit quotation before proceeding.
3 Independent audit: Provide the records and farm access needed to assess production, animal management and the relevant environmental and social practices.
4 Address findings: Complete the required corrections or corrective-action plan and provide evidence within the applicable deadlines.
5 Certification decision: The certification body reviews the assessment and decides whether certification can be issued for the proposed products and scope.
6 Maintain certification: Continue meeting the applicable criteria, retain records and complete the required follow-up assessments. Logo use is subject to authorisation and the usage rules.
Certification fees
Annual royalties depend on the applicant’s category, revenue band and the products or species covered. The published price list applies to new contracts. Audit costs are separate and quoted by the certification body. VAT is additional where applicable. Submit your proposed scope so we can confirm the applicable fees and arrange an audit quotation.
Standards and supporting documents
Check certification status
Use the Friend of the Earth ID to find the certification record. Check the product or species, certificate holder, scope, status and validity dates. A company name in the directory does not mean that all its products are certified.
Frequently asked questions
Coverage follows the products, farms and activities listed in the approved scope. Other products sold by the same business are not automatically covered.
Yes. The farming assessment allows cooperative applications and annual checks using a verified sample of member farms.
Sourcing feed from agricultural activities meeting Friend of the Earth criteria is recommended rather than compulsory for livestock farming certification. Farms still maintain feeding records and address the other applicable feed and crop-production controls.
Yes. Assessment covers animal care and transport, restrictions on prolonged confinement and slaughter methods, alongside identification, feeding and veterinary care.
No. Both are recommendations. The farm is still assessed on its management practices and the applicable working-condition criteria.
Supplier certification alone does not establish approval for a finished product or transfer label-use rights. The product’s scope, traceability and authorisation must be confirmed before the label is used.
Check the issue and expiry dates and current status in the certification record. The certification body will confirm the follow-up assessment arrangements for your scope.
Apply for livestock farming certification
Tell us which products you want assessed, where your farms are located and how your livestock and feed production are managed. We will help you confirm the appropriate scope and next steps.
The Preliminary Information Form is confidential and does not commit you to proceeding with an audit.
