When you add up the water used for food, water, and cleaning the facility the average dairy cow uses 4,954 gallons of water per day. A dairy cow can produce up to seven gallons of milk a DAY, meaning that 4,781 gallons of water are used per cow every day for their food needs. It takes 683 gallons of water to produce just six pounds of alfalfa. According to the findings of Dan Putnam, a plant scientist at the University of California-Davis, it takes around six pounds of alfalfa to produce one gallon of milk. Constantly producing milk is a huge drain on a dairy cow’s metabolism, and they need to replenish that energy through their food. alone there are currently nine million dairy cows in the United States and that in a dairy operation, water is required to hydrate cows, clean parlor floors, walls, and milking equipment, water use adds up fast.Ī study published by Mesfin Mekonnen and Arjen Hoekstra found that 98 percent of milk’s footprint can be traced back to cow food. This might seem like a huge amount of water, but considering that in the U.S. The global water footprint of animal agriculture is 2,422 billion cubic meters of water (one-fourth of the total global water footprint), 19 percent of which is related to dairy cattle. economy, it turns out that it is not so great for the planet. While it is clear that the proliferation of dairy is great for the U.S. Where there’s an overabundant supply of dairy, there’s demand, right? … oh wait. dairy industry produced 11.1 billion pounds of cheese (excluding cottage cheese), 1.86 billion pounds of butter, and 1,052 million pounds of regular-fat ice cream. dairy farms produce 196 billion pounds of milk a year. As corporations find more ways to slip more dairy into their products (Between 20, Dominos entered a $35 million partnership through a checkoff plan that led them to put MORE cheese on their pizzas – others in the industry followed suit) they are rewarded with financial gains and encouraged to drive up the market for dairy.Īt current rates, U.S. Regardless of the questionable ethics of shamelessly marketing dairy to a population that is already in the midst of an obesity epidemic (cheese is the single largest source of saturated fat in the American diet), the promotion of milk has had other consequences. As lobbying interests rally the government to put these dollars towards promoting dairy, the cycle perpetuates itself. Essentially, the government collects these fees from the producers of agricultural commodities to promote and “research” that particular commodity. federal government collects “industry fees” for dairy checkoff programs. In 2013, the dairy industry spent over $8 million on lobbying, and has already spent over $3.5 million on lobbying in 2014. While it could be argued that the beginning of the marketing of dairy for its calcium content began after World War I, conveniently amidst a dairy surplus, the dairy industry has spawned into one of the most lobbied for industries in the U.S. As the be-all and end-all of calcium, cow’s milk has become a veritable superstar in the “healthful food” world. More than any other food we consume, dairy is associated with calcium. Want to grow up and have strong bones? Better drink your milk! Want to be like your favorite celebrities and athletes? Again, the answer is milk. From the moment we are old enough to be aware of advertisements, we’re bombarded with messages about how dairy is an essential part of a healthy diet.
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