News Blog Healthier people, healthier planet, and healthier animals 05-12-24 In recent days few could have missed the media headlines about the UK's biggest dairy, Arla, and their use of Bovaer as an additive in cattle food. Arla claims the additive will significantly reduce the emission of methane gas in dairy cows. Although the use of Bovaer has been approved by UK regulators, some consumers are threatening to boycott Arla products because of concerns around food safety, and others have shared footage of milk being thrown away. Animal welfare At OneKind our main concern is animal welfare. At this point in time, UFAW funded research is underway into possible cow welfare impacts of methane inhibiting feed supplements. The research is yet to be concluded but was begun due to concerns raised by evidence that dairy cows fed rations of methane inhibitor reduce their feed intake, which is one sign of discomfort. These feed supplements are one of many measures to attempt to reduce the emissions from industrial animal farming while maintaining the status quo. This single focus creates risks in many other areas, including animal welfare. Governments must instead seek holistic solutions which address the root causes. Climate change Animal agriculture is having a devastating impact on our planet and methane (a greenhouse gas which is more potent than carbon dioxide) is a major contributor to climate change, but it is not the only one. The production of meat and dairy results in deforestation and other land clearing to provide space to farm animals and grow the crops to feed them. The use of chemicals and mishandling of manure causes water and air pollution and the farming of animals puts a strain on water and energy resources. If companies such as Arla are genuinely concerned about the impact the dairy industry has on our planet, wouldn't there be more benefit in this powerful company supporting the transition towards plant based eating and ethical food systems? What can we do? In a nutshell ... ditch the dairy! The kindest thing we can do for farmed animals, our planet, and our health is to avoid animal products altogether. Nowadays there is a huge range of plant milks available to us. Soya, oat, pea, cashew, almond ... the list is long! They are delicious in cereals, hot drinks ('barista' types ensure no splitting) or even drunk on their own. They can be used in all sorts of ways, puddings, baking, milk shakes, ice cream etc. Supermarkets and health food stores have a wide range on offer, most smaller shops now stock at least one brand of plant-based milk and cafes and restaurants generally have at least a choice of soya and oat. Brands The choice of brands is vast! Some are more ethical than others – though all are better than dairy. Some of the more well-known brands such as Alpro (Danone) are owned by large dairies, or, for instance, Oatly is part of a big investment portfolio which includes non-vegan companies. There are vegan companies such as Plamil, Koko and Oato who produce plant-based milk, but their products may not be so widely available to some people. There are other issues to consider, such as the water needed to grow almonds, food miles and farmer poverty in the coconut industry, and the lack of Tetra Pak recycling factories in the UK. The latest edition of the Ethical Consumer magazine has an in-depth feature on the plant milk industry which gives all the information you should need to help you make your own ethical choices. Healthy life If we’re really serious about tackling climate change, human health and, just as importantly, protecting farmed animals, instead of including more additives in their diets shouldn’t we be eliminating animal products from our food chain altogether? Then we can have more hope for a much stronger planet and a healthier existence for all of us. More information on compassionate living Manage Cookie Preferences