Conventional Cow’s Milk vs Organic Milk vs Alternative “Milks”

There are so many reasons we may choose to consume organic milk rather than regular commercial milk. Clearly there are health advantages as well as some environmental advantages, and often the treatment of the animals is better on organic milk farms. Or perhaps organic milk helps you with certain sensitivities and mild intolerances. But if you are avoiding any cow's milk for environmental reasons, you need to know the environmental impact of alternative "milks". As always, there is an enormous amount of information and data involved in this kind of analysis, but I will try to boil it all down simply if I can. Because the growing conditions, climate, methods and processing are vastly different, it is difficult at best to track down exact comparisons.

Cow’s Milk

Various production practices can dramatically alter data results in the production of cow’s milk

• Per liter of milk 1.14 to 2.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide global warming potential compared to 0.42 to 0.75 for plant based “milks:

• Per liter of milk 100 square feet of land used compared to 3 to 9 square feet of land for plant based “milks”.

• Per liter of milk 628 liters of water is used compared to 28 to 371 liters used for plant based “milks”.

Organic Cow’s Milk

• Per liter of organic milk, typically less than 1 to 1.5 kilogram of carbon dioxide is produced.

• Land use per liter of organic milk is higher due to lower production per head and field grazing. These things are better for the animals and better for the milk, but not so much for the environment.

• Water usage is about the same for standard commercial and organic milks.

Organic milk is generally regarded as better for your health and does rate better for sustainability, biodiversity, ecotoxicity and use of resources.

Nut Based “Milk”

A great variety of nuts are being used to produce “milk” and there are enormous differences in growing the trees and the different conditions of climate and geography. In general growing nut trees require small land areas, the trees of course absorb carbon and release oxygen, live and produce for many years and finally produce a useful biomass at their demise.

Grain Based and Other “Milk”

Most grains require a good deal of land use. Rice has a huge water footprint. Legume based “milks” have soil regenerating advantages. Hemp is a newcomer to the U.S. growers and could be a game changer, as could Flax. Pea “milk” is very promising. And let’s just call coconut “milk” a non-starter with increasing demand destroying environment and wildlife.

Almond “Milk”

Almonds have been the most popular source of alt-milk but not very environmentally friendly. A great deal of pesticide is typically used in almond production, contributing to the loss of bees as well as other pollinators.

• Growing and producing almond “milk” produces the least green house gas of alt-milks.

• One almond consumes 12 liters of water as it grows, amounting to 16 gallons of water to produce a glass of almond “milk”. Considering that 80 percent of almonds are grown in the driest regions of California that is a ridiculous amount of irrigation required.

• Almonds are very nutrient dense, but once processed for “milk” most of the nutrition is lost.

To reduce the footprint make your own almond milk or if possible, search of almond “milk” grown by small producers in less arid regions.

Cashew “Milk”

Cashew milk gets favorable marks for taste and texture, and may have slightly less impact on the environment than almond “milk”.

• Growing cashews requires minimal use of land.

• Cashews consume significantly less water to grow and produce than almonds, but more than legumes or seeds.

Right now the objection to cashew milk is very poor treatment of labor, primarily grown in India.

Hazelnut “Milk”

Hazelnuts grow on trees, and we do love trees for their many environmental advantages, in particular the removal of carbon dioxide from the air and release of oxygen.

• The trees are pollinated by wind from their neighbors so they don’t depend on our declining bee populations.

• Hazelnuts grow in regions of high rainfall, thus reducing the need for irrigation.

Hemp “Milk”

Ok, so hemp has been illegal to grow in the U.S. until recently even though we know it is not the same thing as growing marijuana. So, hemp “milk” has been imported but we will probably see it gain some traction. But of course there is virtually no data from U.S. research so we need to look at general probabilities and research from other countries for now.

• Growing hemp does consume more water than oats, pea or soy, but of course is still substantially less than almond “milk” or cow’s milk.

• Hemp “milk” is produced from hemp seed, an rich source of protein with healthy fats.

• Hemp is a hardy plant resistant to pests and disease, reducing the need for pesticides.

We’ll be watching this one.

Oat “Milk”

Growing oats is quite efficient, growing well in dry conditions, repelling insect pests naturally, suppressing weeds with little help from herbicides and replenishing the soil each year as a green manure. Those are a lot of positive features and advantages.

• One pound of rolled oats requires 300 gallons of water to grow and produce. That is the least amount of water consumed of all the plant based “milks”.

• Oat milk is more nutritional that almond milk but can vary based on the process.

• Oat milk is most often preferred for taste and texture over other alt-milks and is high in protein.

• Unfortunately most oats are grown in large monoculture operations and sprayed with pesticides.

Try to source an oat milk from an organic or at least sustainable grower to eliminate pesticide use and employs good practices such as crop rotation. Unfortunately most producers in the U.S. do use Roundup and pesticides.

Pea “Milk”

Pea “milk” is an interesting newcomer to the alt-milk market. As a legume, peas are nitrogen fixers and they have not been genetically modified, so that is a great start.

• A glass of pea milk can be produced with as little as one half gallon of water.

• Green house gas emissions are about the same as for soy milk, both less than half of cow’s milk.

• Pea “milk” is high in protein and nutrients.

• Grown in cool climates peas require very little use of pesticides.

Rice “Milk”

• One pound of rices requires 400 to 650 gallons of water to produce.

• Rice farming produces enormous amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, which stays in the atmosphere even longer than methane. The impact equals 600 coal plants.

• Fertilizing rice paddies can pollute waterways.

• Nutritional value of rice “milk” is low compared to other alt milks.

Soy “Milk”

Soy is probably the first plant based “milk” and has been widely accepted due to good taste, texture and nutrition being very similar to cow’s milk. Soybeans are now grown all over the world and at first glance seems like the best earth friendly choice. They are nitrogen fixers, reducing the need for fertilizer.

• One liter of soy “milk” consumes 297 liters of water when grown on organic farms. This is a remarkably low water usage, but will be higher consumption on non-organic farms.

• Soybeans require an immense amount of land to grow. Demand has caused destruction of the Amazon rain forests to produce soybeans. To be fair, soybeans are grown for primarily animal feed.

• Green house gas emissions are about half that of cow’s milk.

• Soybeans have been genetically engineered to endure massive doses of Roundup.

• Soybeans are typically grown in large monoculture operations.

Try to source soy “milk” from organic growers in the U.S. or Canada who employ sustainable practices.

So how do you choose which milk or alt-milk to use? Think carefully about your personal reasons for evaluating the milk you drink and select a milk that most closely meets your needs.