Animal Welfare

We believe that the key to the unique flavour of Natures Reserve is an emphasis on healthy and content cattle, so animal welfare is a priority.

All farms registered with Meatco must be members of, and fully adhere to the Farm Assured Namibian Meat Scheme, or FAN Meat, which sets high standards of livestock husbandry within the ‘Five Freedoms', the internationally-recognized basis for assessing good animal welfare. All cattle are allocated a unique identification ear tag, so their movements can be traced, and welfare standards, feed regimes, and any veterinary treatments are monitored. Our trained staff are experts in low-stress handling, and after a fixed period of rest the cattle are led into the processing facility.

No hormones or anti-biotics are allowed to be used on any Natures Reserve cattle.

Meatco's commitment to animal welfare goes further, with its own Farm Assurance Standards. In Namibia , predators can pose a challenge for farmers, but Meatco understands that the industry must prosper in harmony with the environment. So we promote an ethical predator control policy for our ‘Finest' grade of Natures Reserve products, encouraging farmers to capture predators and relocate them.

Dave Houghton, Africat Foundation “I think it's an excellent policy. It's the way forward, especially with the cheetah so endangered, and Namibia having the largest population of cheetahs in the world.”