However, as dairy consumption and production continue to increase, the dairy industry’s environmental footprint is also increasing. In 2019, the EPA estimated that U.S. dairy cows emit 1.729 million tons of methane each year, roughly equivalent to the amount of pollution driven by 11.5 million gasoline-powered cars during the same period. do.a united nations report Global greenhouse gas emissions from the dairy sector were found to have increased by 18% between 2005 and 2015.
On the other hand, it’s not entirely clear whether all these efforts are helping the average dairy farmer. The number of U.S. dairy farms has declined by three-quarters over the past 30 years due to rising costs for farmers and fluctuating milk prices. Many small and medium-sized dairy farms have been forced out of business, and farmers’ net income has fallen below zero year after year. In 2000, farms with more than 2,000 cows produced less than 10 percent of the milk; by 2016, farms of this size were responsible for more than 30 percent of U.S. milk production. became. The divergence of trend lines has some farmers questioning whether focusing on market growth above all else, with increasing climate pollution and the collapse of small dairy farms, is still the best policy.
Since Congress passed the Dairy Act in the 1980s, farmers have been required to pay 15 cents per 100 pounds of milk (equivalent to just under 12 gallons) to an industry promotion program overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It’s here. 10 cents goes to a local promotional organization and the remaining 5 cents goes to the National Dairy Board, which promotes all dairy products. (Eggs have their own $20 million program.) Farmer contributions to national programs totaled $124.5 million in 2021.
The Dairy Board then sends the funds to the dairy operator. Milk processors operate under a similar structure and pay their own assessments to the Liquid Milk Board. The Liquid Milk Committee is solely dedicated to promoting categories including milk, flavored milk, buttermilk, and eggnog. The Fluid Milk Board received his $82.4 million in processing fees in 2021. Its marketing arm is called MilkPEP.
In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Dairy Management told Grist that “all dairy research, promotional content and information not only complies with all regulations and standards, but also ensures that consumers “We also aim to help people make informed decisions about the food they choose for themselves and their families.” This includes nutritious and sustainably produced dairy products. ”
The financial structure of these efforts is complex, but ultimately these programs, known among farmers as “checkoffs,” generate more than $200 million in revenue each year for the dairy industry alone. As a result, the industry has started to take notice of the results. For example, during Checkoff’s first eight years with Domino’s Pizza, the average store saw a 43 percent increase in cheese usage.
But other promotional efforts turned out to be well-crafted failures.Last year, the Liquidity Milk Committee Hired actor Aubrey Plaza to sell “Wood Milk” It was an obvious attempt to lampoon plant-based milk alternatives, resulting in a formal complaint being filed by a group of doctors who support plant-based diets.Another initiative was funded by the board. Website It features Queen Latifah, who is dedicated to combating the seemingly fictional phenomenon of “milk shaming.”
