New research from Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University’s Centre of Excellence Designing Future Productive Landscapes has found that healthier farm systems encompassing soil, plant and animal health can provide measurable benefits to people.
The research team, led by Professor Pablo Gregorini, included Lincoln University Postdoctoral Fellow Fabiellen Pereira and Dr Anita Fleming, alongside Utah State University and Lincoln Agritech.
Together, the researchers compared regenerative and conventional farming systems to assess how these practices influence the nutritional quality of milk and yoghurt. They published their findings in Dairy, in the article Regenerative farming enhances human health benefits of milk and yoghurt in New Zealand dairy systems.
“The three-year trial was run on the Align Clareview dairy farm in Canterbury, with the conventional and regenerative farms adjacent to each other,” explains Professor Gregorini.
“We sampled milk and yoghurt produced from cows on both farms and analysed their chemical composition, metabolomics and microbiome to understand how a regenerative approach could produce dairy products that offer greater benefits to soil, plants, animals and people than those produced conventionally. The metabolomics and microbiome analysed provided insight into the quality, safety and nutritional and nutraceutical value of dairy products.”
A significant difference between the two systems was the feed offered to the cows during lactation. On the conventional farm, cows grazed mainly perennial ryegrass-based pastures. In contrast, cows on the regenerative farm ate a functionally diverse mix of plants selected for their biochemical and bioactive properties. This diversity influenced the chemical composition of the pasture and ultimately the milk and yoghurt’s metabolomic and microbiome profiles, making positive changes associated with human health benefits.
“It’s a given that we feed dairy cows based on total feed production, energy and protein levels,” says Prof Gregorini.
“But in this trial, we included pasture species known to contain bioactive components linked to human health. Along with choosing the right ‘menu’, it’s important how we ‘set the table for them.’ Offering animals biochemically rich pasture as opposed to monotony allows them to consume healthier pasture-based diets, when they need it.”
Milk and yoghurt from the regenerative system showed a lower omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, which supports cardiovascular health (reducing blood clots), improves mental health, and has properties that can aid in delaying Alzheimer’s disease and reduce the risk of certain cancers. They also contained higher levels of Streptococcus thermophilus, aiding digestion for lactose-intolerant individuals, improving gut motility and reducing inflammatory bowel symptoms. Compounds hydroxytyrosol, schaftoside, salicylic acid and luteoloside were present in greater concentrations in the milk and yoghurt produced from the regenerative system, and they are known to provide numerous benefits to people: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anti-diabetic properties, along with neuroprotective properties against Parkinson’s disease.
The regenerative farm showed a greater abundance of some soil organisms than the conventional farm, improving soil microbiome diversity. This is striking, given that only five units of nitrogen (N) were applied per hectare annually, compared to the average of 190 units of N per hectare on conventional farms. This suggests regenerative systems can maintain soil health and plant growth with minimal synthetic fertiliser applications, reducing N pollution and flow-on ecological impacts.
“This research is a part of the growing body of evidence that shows a farming system that is focused on increased biodiversity, reducing synthetic inputs and delivering healthier outcomes across soil, animals and humans can deliver results while maintaining similar yields to those on a conventional farm,” said Prof Gregorini.
“This is a really powerful outcome – not just farmers and industry but also for consumers who want to consume healthier dairy products. While price matters, many will choose products from systems that positively impact the environment, animals and our health.”
