Did you know that 9 out of 10 serial killers grew up drinking milk?
Yes, Switch4Good knows that’s a ridiculous statement. But it has plastered that message all over the greater Hollywood area on billboards and light posts. The plant-based activist organization wants people to believe that “Big Milk” has worked hard to sell us the lie that milk is good for us. And that lie is deadly, because it kills humans, the environment, truth, cows, and food justice.
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The organization refers to itself as an “evidence-based non-profit” that’s working hard to save the masses from milk and its consequences. I suppose it uses those descriptors because that makes it seem more legitimate; these people are just conducting important anti-milk research without the incentive of profit.
Milk isn’t killing humans
Switch4Good blames almost all our society’s major health problems on milk, from heart disease to hypertension, inflammation, and cancer. It claims that dairy, especially fat-heavy cheese, is “wreaking havoc on the cardiovascular system.” And it points to several studies allegedly showing a link between milk consumption and early death.
Milk is a nutrient-dense beverage that humans have consumed for somewhere around 6,000 years. A serving contains 13 essential nutrients, including protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin (B2), and niacin (B3). And although plant-based alternatives are gradually improving, cow’s milk has more nutritional value.
America clearly has an obesity issue. But it’s disingenuous (at best!) to suggest that problem is caused solely by consuming dairy. Obesity is a complex ailment with a number of causes — and even if we were to point fingers at items the grocery store, junk foods, fried meals, and sugary drinks would surely be at the forefront.
Switch4Good’s deduction that obesity could be cured by simply giving up milk is actually ridiculous.
Milk isn’t killing the environment
According to Switch4Good, “industrial” dairy farming contributes to “ecocide” and the climate change crisis. It blames dairy for “extreme air pollution” and “contaminated drinking water.” And it suggests that soy and oat milk can be produced much more sustainably.
Those opposed to animal agriculture always try to simplify things into a simple equation: Animals equal unsustainable. But it’s never that simple. Sure, growing soybeans may require less water than watering a cow for a year. Nutritionally, however, soy is a high-quality protein, but doesn’t have anywhere near the amount of calcium found in cow’s milk. Or, it might take less land to produce oat milk, but the final product doesn’t have the protein content found in cow’s milk. In other words, it’s complicated.
What we do know is that U.S. dairy farmers are increasingly more sustainable. In fact, the environmental impact of producing a gallon of milk in 2017 substantially decreased from 2007 by requiring 30 percent less water, 21 percent less land, and a 19 percent smaller carbon footprint. And farmers and scientists are working on innovative ways to reduce methane production through improved cow feed and energy-producing digesters.
Milk isn’t killing the truth
Switch4Good credits the Dairy Checkoff Program with “manipulating research and nutritional science” to push its “some of the most popular and misleading advertising campaigns in history.” And it’s partnerships with companies contributed to increased cheese on pizzas, more milk in coffee drinks, and larger cheese slices on breakfast sandwiches.
If this line of conspiracy theory sounds familiar, that’s because it’s so similar to the MoNSaTaN arguments of the last decade. Yes, the Dairy Checkoff is a federal marketing program that milk producers all pay into based on production — plenty of other commodities have similar programs. It’s certainly a successful program, but it hasn’t propagated an entire industry of fake science to support it. How do I know? Because if that was the case, it would have prevented the rise of plant-based alternatives.
Also, someone needs to explain to Switch4Good how peer-reviewed science works.
Milk isn’t killing cows
Now we start to see the crazy train coming to town. Switch4Good alleges that cows are “forcibly impregnated, having their babies repeatedly stolen, and enduring constant and psychological abuse.” After suffering for years, those dairy cows are then hauled off for slaughter well before their “natural life expectancy.”
Listen, animals must die so humans can eat meat. That doesn’t mean we should stop or that meat doesn’t play an important role in our food system. We can also treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve, and that’s the goal of good animal husbandry.
And if you believe that farmers are forcibly impregnating cows, stealing away their babies, or causing them to endure continuous suffering, I’d invite you to follow some actual dairy farmers on social media (I recommend TDF Honest Farming). You’ll see a much different reality taking place on farms across our country.
Milk isn’t killing food justice
This one is my favorite. Big Dairy is apparently marketing dairy to African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, and others suffering from lactose intolerance. Switch4Good calls this dietary racism and calls for Big Dairy to stop discriminating against people.
I’ll admit this one was new to me. Early data suggested that approximately 75 percent of African Americans have the potential to experience lactose intolerance, which is caused by not having enough of the enzyme lactase-phlorizin hydrolase. But it turns out that number is way too high. And milk’s nutritional value means it’s important for people to consume it, even at smaller amounts.
So let’s recap. Nine out of 10 IRS agents drink milk. Nine out of 10 fraudsters drink milk. Nine out of 10 spam callers drink milk. And I’m willing to be nine out of 10 criminals drink milk.
Despite that, milk is still a fresh, healthy, and nutritious part of our diets.
» Related reading: A response to Vice.com: Abhorred by adults drinking milk? Not hardly
Amanda Zaluckyj blogs under the name The Farmer’s Daughter USA. Her goal is to promote farmers and tackle the misinformation swirling around the U.S. food industry.
