Number of cows in the UK, recorded in 2010 and in 1980, compared with the yield per cow reveal shocking statistics. Have we reached the peak of milk?
Dairy farmer
s in the UK have taking action on issues that have been building up and causing great conflict. Things have been changing in the dairy industry, figures show that the amount farmers are paid to produce milk has fallen by a quarter in the last year - dropping from 31.66p per litre in June 2014, to 23.66 p in June 2015.
After finding a report that conducted research into how many dairy cows EU countries have, and how many tonnes of milk they produce, interests me into finding out how much the general public know, and think about where they get their milk from as well as whether they have ever considered milk alternatives.
https://www.ciwf.org.uk/media/5235182/Statistics-Dairy-cows.pdf
I decided to interview two office workers as I ate my morning bowl of cereal, with organic soya milk. I would like to gather an insight into how milk drinkers feel about what is going on, as well as hear their opinion on soya milk, a plant based milk that has strong benefits to the environment and could potentially be a new investment for farmers!
Dave, communications coordinator, agrees with the protest. "I think it's a good thing, they get paid very little for doing something important."
Researcher Ben Cooper strongly supports the protest, "I think it's completely wrong for supermarkets and other shops as well, to sell products where producers sell at a loss, and I think that we price things that come from animals so cheap is morally suspect as well."
It is interesting to find that people are on the farmers side. Both Dave and Ben have milk a strong addition to their daily diet, commenting that they both have milk on cereal, and with their cups of tea each day. How very British. But let's consider some British Dairy Cow history.
I gave both interviewees this fact, to gain a response to yield and production of milk.
"I thought that would be impossible, I haven't any thoughts on that actually." When I asked if he thinks there is a correlation between the production of cows milk and the cost of milk, and whether there is an over production. Dave said yes.
Ben was dubious about the information given in the fact. "I don't know, I'm not well informed enough, if there's animal welfare issue or bred the cows better to selectively breed those that provide greater yields of milk better, I'm not sure if that's a bad thing... I don't know enough"
It is interesting the lack of transparency in dairy milk production. Did you know that the UK is the third largest global importer of dairy products.
I also decided, whilst on the topic of milk to enquire whether these two have ever drank soya milk.
Dave has never had any sofa or milk substitutes. "I've always got on with normal milk, green top." When personalising those cows who make the green top milk and asking Dave how he thinks the cows are being treated, he says "like with chickens, as long as they're treated well it's fine. Is it similar to someone working a 50 hour week, instead of a 30? Does it affect quality of milk, because I've not tasted a difference.
Dave suggests that because he is from Lincolnshire, he knows lots of farmers who do a lot of good work.
Ben seems to have a strong rejection to alternatives to cows milk. "I don't actually class it as milk... Err milk is something that comes out of animals. Soya milk comes from beans. It's bean juice. I've tried it before and thought its revolting, I don't like the taste and I don't have any ethical qualms with cows milk. It's just not on my radar.
It's been interesting to gauge a strong difference of opinions towards dairy cows and drinking milk. Although I too grew up in the countryside, with a cow farm living behind my family house throughout my childhood, when I found out about the poor conditions the cows are living in and having to produce such high quantities of milk for an incredibly low cost, my protest is to not drink cows milk. I have benefitted from enjoying soya milk and feel much better about myself, about my diet and I feel positive in sharing my experience to empower more individuals to discover the facts of the agriculture industry, and make a difference to your own life whilst doing good for the planet too.
Does anyone else care about the life of a dairy cow?