Dairy Industry
The dairy industry produces milk and milk products, mainly from cows; its practices, including repeated pregnancies and calf separation, are central to vegan objections to dairy.
The dairy industry is the sector of agriculture concerned with producing milk and milk-based products such as cheese, butter, cream and yoghurt. Most commercial milk worldwide comes from cattle, with smaller amounts from buffalo, goats, sheep and camels. Vegans avoid dairy products, and the dairy industry is a frequent subject of debate in animal ethics because, unlike meat, many people assume that producing milk does not involve harm to animals.
How dairy production works
Like other mammals, cows produce milk to feed their young. To produce milk commercially, dairy cows must give birth regularly. A typical sequence in modern dairy farming is:
- A heifer is usually first inseminated, most often by artificial insemination, at around 15 months of age and gives birth at roughly two years old.
- After the birth, the calf is generally separated from its mother, often within hours or days, so that the milk can be collected for human consumption.
- The cow is milked, typically two or three times per day, for around ten months.
- She is re-inseminated a few months after giving birth, so that a new pregnancy overlaps with the current lactation.
- Once her milk production declines or she develops health or fertility problems, she is usually sent to slaughter, commonly after a few lactations and at an age far below the natural lifespan of cattle.
Fate of calves
Because only female calves can become dairy cows, male calves are a by-product of milk production. Depending on the country and market conditions, male calves may be raised for veal or beef or, in some cases, killed shortly after birth. Some female calves are raised as replacement dairy cows, while others are sold for meat. Separating calves from their mothers has been the subject of research and debate; some studies have reported signs of distress in both cows and calves, and a small number of farms practise “cow-calf contact” systems in which calves remain with their mothers for longer.
Welfare concerns
Animal welfare groups and some veterinary researchers have raised concerns about practices in intensive dairy production, including:
- Mastitis, a painful inflammation of the udder that is one of the most common diseases in dairy cattle.
- Lameness, often associated with hard flooring and housing conditions.
- Zero-grazing, in which cows are housed indoors year-round with little or no access to pasture.
- High yields from selective breeding, which have been associated with metabolic and fertility problems.
- Disbudding and dehorning of calves, sometimes without adequate pain relief.
Some of these practices are regulated differently across countries, and welfare standards vary between farms. Organic and pasture-based systems generally require more outdoor access, but still involve breeding, calf separation in most cases, and slaughter. Vegans therefore typically regard all commercial dairy as incompatible with ethical veganism, regardless of welfare standards.
Environmental considerations
Dairy cattle contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane from enteric fermentation and emissions from manure. The large 2018 meta-analysis by Joseph Poore and Thomas Nemecek published in Science found that, across a wide range of producers, cow’s milk generally had higher greenhouse gas emissions, land use and water use per litre than plant-based milks such as soy, oat, almond and rice. See environmental impact of animal agriculture.
Health and nutrition
Dairy is a significant source of calcium, protein, iodine and vitamin B12 in many Western diets. People avoiding dairy can obtain these nutrients from fortified plant-based milks, calcium-set tofu, other plant foods and supplements. A large proportion of the world’s adult population has reduced ability to digest lactose, the main sugar in milk, though the prevalence varies widely between populations.
Alternatives
The market for dairy alternatives has grown substantially since the 2010s. Common alternatives include:
- plant-based milks made from soy, oats, almonds, rice, coconut and peas
- vegan cheese made from nuts, soy, coconut oil or starches
- plant-based yoghurts, butters, creams and ice creams
In the European Union, a 2017 ruling of the Court of Justice held that terms such as “milk”, “butter” and “cheese” are generally reserved for animal products, so plant-based alternatives are often labelled as “drinks” or similar.