Over 3 Million Gallons of Cow’s Milk Being Poured Away In U.S. Every Day as Dairy Industry Struggles With Reduced Demand
The struggling dairy industry is facing both the economic downturn of the coronavirus pandemic and several decades of falling consumer demand for cow’s milk.
Dairy farms across the U.S. are dumping as many as 3.7 million gallons of milk per day as the industry faces the brunt of both the coronavirus pandemic and several decades of falling consumer demand.
The nation’s largest dairy cooperative, Dairy Farmers of America, revealed the shocking stats as farmers across the country struggle to sell cow’s milk to consumers. With the coronavirus lockdown shutting restaurants, schools, and hotels, the demand for dairy products has plummeted, leading farmers with excess milk and no outlet to sell it on to.
As a result, more and more farmers are literally pouring the excess milk down the drain.
"When a young milk cow gets put into production, you don't turn the production on and off. And so it's very difficult to be quickly responsive to a crisis," explained Alan Bjerga, a spokesperson for the National Milk Producers Federation.
The coronavirus shutdown has exacerbated the problem of excess milk in the U.S., as it follows the already rapid decline in consumer demand for cow’s milk over the last few decades.
So what has driven so many consumers to turn away from drinking cow’s milk?
For years, the dairy industry peddled the myth that cow’s milk is necessary for people’s health. Yet new research continues to emerge that now makes clear the health risks associated with consuming dairy. This year a groundbreaking new study that followed nearly 53,000 women over seven years, found that “one cup of dairy milk per day could increase risk of developing breast cancer by up to 50 percent”.
Milk alternatives are also far better for the planet than dairy: the production of a glass of dairy milk results in three times more greenhouse gas emissions than any plant-based milk, according to researchers at the University of Oxford.
More and more animal lovers are refusing to support the dairy industry, too. Cows are mammals, and just like us, they produce milk to nourish their young. A female cow in the dairy industry is repeatedly inseminated to ensure that she is continuously producing milk. Within hours of giving birth, her calf will typically be removed so that her milk can be taken and sold to humans instead.
Plant-based milks can be cheaper as well, especially if you make them yourself: check out our simple guide for making plant-based milks, with many of the recipes using just two ingredients.
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