Why should I drop dairy?

From the cruelty to cows to the environmental toll and health risks, here are a few reasons why you should drop dairy.

Purchasing animal-based dairy products supports animal suffering

Repeated pregnancies, stolen babies, and broken friendships

Just like humans, cows and other mammals produce milk for their young. In the dairy industry, however, keeping a calf with their mother is not economically viable. Calves are seen as competitors to humans for the mother's milk, and as a result, are taken away within 12-24 hours of birth. This causes immense stress and heartbreak for both the mother and baby, who have developed a strong bond with one another. This heartbreaking loss will happen once a year, until her milk supply slows down, or she becomes infertile, ill, or weak – then she will be sent to slaughter. Despite having a life expectancy of 20 years, the average age of a dairy cow is 4-7 years old, however, some can endure this miserable cycle for 10 years.

Naturally, cows live in large herds, made up of grandmothers, mothers, and their young. Mothers would nurse their young for up to 14 months, and their daughter would stay with them for the rest of their lives, while their son may leave after a few years to find his own herd. Cows are also known to have best friends and become stressed when they are separated. They also grieve when they lose a friend. On dairy farms, they constantly experience changes to their herd, which damages social structures and relationships, causing stress and suffering. 

The devastating fate of bobby calves

The dairy industry keeps some of the female calves to replace older dairy cows who are killed. The rest of the calves are referred to as 'bobby calves'. Some are kept to become veal or beef, however, most are immediately killed on-site or sent to slaughter when they are 5 days old. It is estimated that around 700,000 bobby calves are killed every year. It is important to note that all of these paths result in suffering and premature death.

Lameness and mastitis is common in dairy cows

Studies have found that lameness and hock injuries affect one-quarter to one-half of cows on dairy farms on average. Lameness is when cows have pain in their leg or hoof, which affects the way they walk and their ability to put pressure on it. It can be caused by an injury, a disease, or by living on wet surfaces or standing on concrete floors for long periods of time.

Mastitis is an inflammation of the udders due to an infection, caused by bacteria or injury (caused by the milking machine). According to the RSPCA, 5-10% of dairy cows - that's between 70,000 to 140,000 individuals - suffer from this in Australia. Cows with mastitis show visible signs of discomfort, such as abnormal posture, increased sensitivity to the udders and teats, rapid breathing and heart rate, and high temperatures. This condition can be difficult to detect in the early stages, leaving cows in pain. If left untreated it can cause death. 

Dairy farming negatively impacts the environment

Dairy farms impact biodiversity

Dairy farming in Australia uses around 4 million hectares of land. Land clearing destroys native habitats, contributes to a loss of biodiversity, destroys the soil structure, increases wind and water erosion (leading to more pollution), and affects the ability of the soil to absorb carbon.

Dairy production uses a lot of water and food

According to the Save Water website, top operators use 500 litres of fresh water to produce just 1 litre of cow milk, while the average remains between 628 and 800 litres. One kilogram of cow cheese, on the other hand, requires 5,605 litres of water! 

On average, a lactating cow will consume between 18 and 25 kg of dietary dry matter each day, depending on how much milk she is currently producing. Their food consists of grazing on cleared land and supplementing with hay, grains, and soy products.

It also creates greenhouses gases and a heap of waste

In Australia, the dairy industry is responsible for 12% of all greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture industry. One kilogram of milk produces 3 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions, most of which is methane. While one kilogram of cheese produces 21 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions! 

A dairy cow typically produces 52kg of manure each day and around 21 tons per annum. It is estimated that 2,500 dairy cows produce as much waste as a town of 411,000 humans. Their waste contains phosphorus and nitrogen, which can affect air, soil, and water quality.

Consuming animal-based dairy products is linked to a variety of major health issues

Please note, we are not health experts and the information below comes from external studies. We've included the health impacts of dairy as we feel that it is important for consumers to know that dairy consumption has been linked to certain health issues. 

On top of the ethical and environmental issues, the consumption of dairy can cause a range of health issues, such as affecting hormones and fertility to Parkinson's disease, type-1 diabetes, and cancer – to name a few. Scientists hypothesise that some of the health concerns could be due to the D-galactose found in milk, which has been shown to increase ageing in lab animals, shortening their life span, causing chronic inflammation, decreased immune response, and gene transcriptional changes.

Hormone spikes, lower testosterone, and infertility

Cows milk contains hormones – prolactin, corticosteroids, progesterone, and estrogens – which are vital for their calves, as it gives them the extra boost of nutrients needed to help them to grow into a healthy adult. This is wonderful for the baby, but not so wonderful for those who aren't from the same species. 

A study showed that after drinking milk, the baseline hormone levels in men and children tripled or quadrupled. In men and boys, however, it also caused a significant decrease in their testosterone levels.

While more research needs to be done on dairy consumption and fertility, it is suggested that consuming low-fat dairy accelerates ovarian aging leading to early menopause. A small study of women who were presenting for infertility treatment found high dairy protein intake was associated with lower antral follicle counts.

Breast and prostate cancer

Scientists found that cows' milk stimulated the growth of prostate cancer cells, producing an average increase in the cancer growth rate of over 30%. A different study found that men who followed a vegan diet had a 35% lower prostate cancer risk than those following a nonvegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, or semi-vegetarian diet. 

In a long-term study of women, researchers found that the consumption of dairy foods, in particular milk, was associated with increased risk of breast cancer. They also found that consuming soy milk reduced the risk of breast cancer dramatically.

Parkinson's disease

There has been a consistent association between consuming dairy products and Parkinson's disease. A 2007 study found a higher risk of Parkinson's disease for both men and women who consumed dairy products and a 2017 study found a positive association between low-fat dairy and Parkinson's disease. The research suggests that dairy does not cause Parkinson's disease, however, does increase the risk of developing it. Scientists believe it is due to the presence of galactose in milk which causes pathological alterations in brain cells.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, where your own immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. Sadly, this deadly disease is on the rise globally. While genetics play a role in this disease, it is evident that environment, diet, and lifestyle also contribute to the risk. A study in 1991 found that cow's milk may contain a triggering factor for the development of type 1 diabetes. Further studies found that the less infants were breastfed, the higher the rate of diabetes, which led to another study that tested to see if children with type-1 diabetes had higher levels of antibodies that attack bovine proteins in their blood in comparison to children who did not consume cow milk during infancy - and they did. 

On top of this, studies have found no positive association between milk consumption and strong bones.

From milk and butter to cheese, yoghurt, ice cream and chocolate, there's an enjoyable animal-friendly alternative for everyone

Humans are the only species who continue to consume milk into adulthood and the only species to take milk from another species’ mother - but we don't have to. There are so many other plant-based foods that are full of calcium and protein to help us meet our nutritional needs - and these foods have the added benefit of no direct animal suffering. 

From a taste and recipe perspective, companies are now making delicious gooey cheeses, butter, yoghurt, ice-creams and more, so you can still enjoy your old favourites! We've put together a little guide to help you find your favourite plant-based dairy items here.

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