Many of us are becoming more environmentally minded and self-aware about our lifestyle and food choices. At the same time, lots of us enjoy milk in things like cereal, tea, coffee or simply a cold glass of the good stuff. If this is the case, what milk should you be drinking? With so many milk alternatives available, knowing which is the best choice for you and the environment is challenging.
Is dairy done? The best milk alternative for our bodies and planet
ARTICLE
10 June 2023
4 min read
4 min read
To celebrate World Milk Day, we’re asking Accredited Dietitian Marika Day some thirst-quenching questions. Many of us have heard about the environmental drawbacks of dairy milk but some plant-based options have issues of their own. Below, Marika explores three popular variants for curious milk drinkers.
Don’t dismiss dairy
Nutritionally, dairy milk provides the most value. It is naturally packed with protein, vitamins and minerals that are essential for human health. However, dairy milk significantly lets us down in the environmental department.
In assessing the environmental impact of each milk and ultimately deciding which is best, you need to consider 3 critical environmental areas: water-intensive production, land demand and carbon footprint.
Water-intensive production
Dairy milk requires a significant amount of water to produce in both the requirement for the cows and in the production process – 1L of dairy milk needs 628L of water, to be exact. Of the plant-based milk alternatives, 1L of almond milk requires 371L of water, oat milk needs 48L and soy milk requires 28L.
Outcome: Soy milk is the winner here, followed by oat milk.
Taking up land
Dairy milk typically requires 9 times more land than plant-based alternatives because cows need large areas of land to graze and to grow feed. For every 1L of cow’s milk produced, it requires 8.9 square metres of land per year, in contrast to 0.8 for oat milk, 0.7 for soy milk and 0.5 for almond milk.
Outcome: Almond milk takes the number one spot here, followed closely by soy and oat.
Carbon footprint
A recent study estimated that dairy milk produced around 3 times the greenhouse gas emissions compared to its plant-based milk alternatives. 1L of dairy milk is equivalent to 3.2kg CO2e, similar to driving 15.2km. In contrast, 1L of soy milk is equals 1kg CO2e, 0.88kg CO2e for oat milk and 0.72kg CO2e for almond milk, similar to driving 3.6km.
Outcome: Almond milk comes out on top, followed by oat milk.
Almond trees take up less space and almond milk has a lower carbon footprint compared to other plant-based alternatives. However, these benefits are often overshadowed by the negative impacts of the water usage of almond milk and the industrial scale of almond farming in a water-scare area like California, where most almond milk is made.
Whilst almond milk, soy milk and oat milk come out on top in terms of environmental friendliness, it is crucial to choose a plant-based milk that is calcium-fortified to ensure you continue to meet your nutrient and health needs at the same time. Finally, don’t forget that wasting milk has a much larger environmental impact – so whichever milk you decide to buy, make sure to use it all up.
Happy milk drinking!
Interested in sustainability?
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*Footnotes:
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaq0216
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030222005859
https://theconversation.com/which-milk-is-best-for-the-environment-we-compared-dairy-nut-soy-hemp-and-grain-milks-147660
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/28/what-plant-milk-should-i-drink-almond-killing-bees-aoe
https://www.co2everything.com/co2e-of/milk
https://theconversation.com/which-milk-is-best-for-the-environment-we-compared-dairy-nut-soy-hemp-and-grain-milks-147660
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/28/what-plant-milk-should-i-drink-almond-killing-bees-aoe
https://www.co2everything.com/co2e-of/milk
Marika Day
Marika Day is a nutritionist and Accredited Practising Dietitian who knows what the body needs to function at its best. With more than five years’ experience in the health and fitness industry, Marika's holistic approach to diet and exercise is tried and true. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.
Disclaimer:
This is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a financial adviser, or medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.
This is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a financial adviser, or medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.
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