Cow milk is commonly regarded as the standard, but there are several factors attributing to the recent rise in popularity of plant-based alternatives like almond, soy, rice, and oat milk. Cow milk has a much more significant negative environmental impact, using more land, water, and emitting more CO2 than any of the previously listed plant-based milks. In the EU, dairy products constitute 16-36% of typical dietary emissions, and cause a higher degree of eutrophication than any plant-based option. Additionally, as discussed in previous Synopses, cows emit massive amounts of methane, which contribute tremendously to global warming.

Oat milk has gained a lot of popularity recently because it has similar properties to cow milk, such as taste, how it foams, and viscosity. It uses almost 12 times less land than dairy milk, and emits 3.5 times less CO2. In addition, it uses considerably less freshwater than even other plant-based alternatives. Dairy milk uses 628.2 liters of water per liter of milk, almond milk uses 371.5 L rice milk uses 269.8 L, but oat milk only uses 48.2 L, which is 13 times less freshwater than dairy milk. 

Although plants based milks are a excellent substitute for cow milk, they do come with different nutrients. While dairy is typically higher in calories and contains more protein, plant milks often have more vitamin D. Calcium content, however, is largely the same. 

Plant-based milks enable people to continue to drink milk while decreasing their burden on the environment. They’re also a great replacement for those who react negatively to lactose, as most adults are. It’s fantastic that we have access to a wide variety of effective substitutes, so that everyone can find the right type of milk based on their preferences.

Below is a graph that can be referenced to observe the relative impacts of the various milks discussed in this article.

As previously mentioned, I recently received some feedback requesting more information on environmentally-friendly choices that individuals can make, so us consumers can make educated choices and purchases. I think that person may find non-dairy milk hard to comprehend, but I believe in them. I’m really glad that I decided to research different types of milk, because I didn’t really know the relative differences when it came to dairy substitutes. I’d heard almond milk used a ton of water, but I didn’t know that it remained substantially less than cow milk, so that was valuable to learn.

I’ve been drinking oat milk for a while now, and prefer it over normal milk, so it was great to hear that my beverage of choice was a good one. Hopefully oat milk and other alternatives will can continue to gain popularity and become a staple in others’ diets, because they’re really not that different from what we’re used to. If you have struggled to find a plant-based milk that you enjoy, I suggest trying several different brands, as not all of them taste the same.

I hope you benefitted from what I covered today! Stay tuned to learn with me!

https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impact-milks