Why Milk?
Milk is one of the most common food resources. Over 6 billion people consume milk worldwide!
The amount of co2 emissons that is produced from one glass of milk (250ml) is equivalent to driving a car for 3.8km.
Milk is one of the main sources of nutrients for growing children, so let's make sure the milk we're feeding the future generations won't continue to polute the Earth.
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What's the damage?
Water Usage
Did you know that producing dairy milk requires a lot of water?
Cows, just like us, need water to stay healthy and produce milk. On top of that, the crops that cows eat, like grass and grains, also need water to grow. All this water adds up and can put a strain on our water resources, especially in areas where water is already scarce.
So, it's important for us to be mindful of how much water goes into producing milk.
Land Usage
Cows need space to graze and eat grass, and that requires large pastures.
Sometimes, forests and other natural habitats are cleared to make room for these pastures. This can harm the environment by contributing to deforestation and the loss of animal homes.
Additionally, cows also eat crops like corn and wheat, which require land for cultivation. When more land is used for growing cow food, it can lead to more deforestation and the loss of biodiversity.
Dairy milk is responsible for 14% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions!
CO2 Production
Cows can produce a gas called methane, which is another greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
The transportation of milk from farms to stores requires vehicles that emit CO2.
Additionally, the machines and factories used to process milk also release CO2.
So, overall, the production of dairy milk contributes to the release of CO2 into the environment. If there's too much CO2, our Earth might just look like this!
Do alternative milks even work?
What Nutrients Do Kids Need?
We have all been told that kids need to drink dairy milk to be healthy, but do we actually know what nutrients are needed from milk to sustain healthy growth?
Kids aged 4 - 8 are recommended to have 1.5 - 2 serves of dairy daily!
1 serving = 250ml milk.
The main nutrients kids get from milk is calcium!
As we can see from the two diagrams, it's possible to get a similar amount of calcium and vitamins from oat milk.
There are many other sources of protein for kids, such as nuts, grains and eggs.
What's the cost?
Cost of Alternative Milk
The short version: alternative milk is going to cost more financially.
But what is worth more, a few bucks or your child's future?
As we've seen from all of the data above, cow's milk is the most damaging to the environment and is costing even more in the long run! Reducing CO2 emissions is crucial to mitigating the impacts of climate change and preserving the planet for future generations.
Cost comparison
If we do a simple comparisons of the costs surrounding dairy milk and oat milk, it may seem that dairy milk costs more financially but it costs more for the planet and for our children's futures.
| Cost (per L milk) | Cow's Milk | Oat Milk |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.60 | $2.25 |
| Water | 628L | 48L |
| Land | 9m2 | 1m2 |
| Produced co2 | 3kg | 1kg |
What's the takeaway?
The summary
Dairy milk takes up too much land and water to produce and creates tonnes of co2!
Alternative milk is better for the environment.
Your kids can still get all their nutrition from alternative milks.
Where to now?
Let's ensure your kid has a safe and thriving future!
What alternative milk will you choose?
Click on an image below to find out more about each milk type
Oat Milk
Soy Milk
Almond Milk
