Greenpeace dumped green slime outside Fonterra’s Auckland office on Dec. 15, 2025, to protest dairy-induced nitrate pollution and demand action to protect drinking water.

On December 15, 2025, Greenpeace activists dumped 2,000 liters of green slime outside Fonterra’s Auckland headquarters during a shareholder meeting, declaring a “nitrate emergency quarantine zone” to protest the dairy giant’s role in groundwater contamination. The group cited scientific evidence linking nitrate pollution from intensive dairying—driven by synthetic fertilizers and large herds—to serious health risks, including bowel cancer and blue baby syndrome. They called for an immediate halt to dairy expansion, especially plans to add 35,000 cows to the Canterbury Plains, and demanded Fonterra reduce herd sizes and end synthetic fertilizer use. The protest follows regional nitrate emergencies in Canterbury and recent water tests showing unsafe nitrate levels in Southland and Canterbury communities. Greenpeace urged more councils to take emergency action to protect rural drinking water.