Washington (GGM) Analysis | May 25, 2021 by Sarah J. Kings

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), approximately 270 million dairy cows live on farms and factory farms across the globe. The dairy industry produces greenhouse gas emissions that negatively impact the environment and contribute to climate change. Additionally, “poor handling of manure and fertilizers can degrade local water resources. And unsustainable dairy farming and feed production can” also “lead to the loss of ecologically important areas, such as prairies, wetlands, and forests.”

Just one glass of cow’s milk produces .63 kg of carbon emissions. Additionally, that same glass requires 1.79 square meters of land and 125.6 liters of water to make. Because of the negative effects of producing dairy, many lobbyists and organizations encourage people to swap out cows milk for vegan alternatives. One Green Planet– among other companies- is currently asking people to “ditch dairy.” 

With the increase in popularity of vegan options like almond, cashew, rice, and soy milk, you may be wondering which one to choose. Luckily Science Focus has come out with an easy way to measure the impact of the various vegan alternatives to dairy milk. The milk with the lowest carbon emissions per glass is almond milk-which produces .14 kgs- followed by oat, which produces .18 kgs. The milk with the lowest land usage per glass is rice at .07 square meters. Lastly, the vegan milk responsible for the least amount of water needed in production is soy- which uses 5.6 liters- followed closely by oat, which uses 9.6 liters.

Twitter: @oatly

If you are looking to make a significant impact in the fight against climate change, the proof is in the vegan pudding! Ditching dairy and swapping it out for a vegan alternative will lower carbon emissions and reduce land and water usage. As for which alternative to dairy milk is the best for the environment, there are two winners. Choosing almond milk or oat milk for your morning coffee or bowl of cereal is a vegan and eco-friendly way to start the day.

Tl;dr

• 270 million dairy cows are living on farms and factory farms across the globe
• One glass of cow’s milk produces .63 kg of carbon emissions
• One glass of cow’s milk requires 1.79 square meters of land and 125.6 liters of water to make
• Almond milk has the lowest carbon emissions per glass
• Rice milk uses the least land to make
• Soy milk uses the least water to make
• The most eco-friendly milk options are Almond and Oat

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