World Animal Welfare Day: Why we don't use dairy

Alongside the environmental issues linked to mass dairy production, which you can read all about here, there are also a number of animal welfare concerns for dairy cows that impact our decision to avoid dairy and embrace the power of the oat.

There are, of course, farms out there that contain happy cows with the space, food and care they need. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case everywhere. The global demand for dairy means that many cows are forced to live in poor conditions, in which their welfare is not a priority for farmers. For instance, overcrowded farms result in cows not having the space or comfort they require to lie down, which they need to do for prolonged periods to maintain their health (the RSPCA website gives a full rundown on this).

In a healthy and natural environment, cows can live for over twenty years. Dairy cows, however, are often slaughtered after three or four lactations because their milk production drops or they develop health problems like lameness, mastitis or infertility.

We’re not here to demonise dairy, we’re here to prove that dairy isn’t always necessary. Creamy chocolate doesn’t need cream, a milky flavour doesn’t require cow’s milk, and a delicious sweet treat can be totally cruelty-free.

In oat we trust.