BY EMILY HONEYBUN

The British dairy industry has been hit hard over the past few years as more people turn to milk substitutes, but why?

Climate change is affecting the world and increasing global temperatures and methane is a part of the problem.

It is true that the dairy industry produces a lot of methane gas that is released into the atmosphere, but a far greater problem is the CO2 being released from burning fossil fuels.

Anaerobic digesters are being used more by farmers to turn their cattle’s waste into electricity. Not only does this make use of something that would otherwise be wasted, but it stops the methane being released into the atmosphere and means electricity can be produced without burning fossil fuels.

People feel that because milk substitutes don’t use animals they must be better for the environment. This is not so.

Consumers are concerned about animal welfare, and rightly so. We want to ensure the milk we are consuming has come from cows that live in a safe, happy environment.

Buying milk with a red tractor logo ensures this. British farms can only get this certificate when they have been thoroughly inspected by an outside body to ensure the cow’s quality of life and welfare is up to the strict standard set by the government.

Imported milk and milk products without the red tractor logo mean that the animals could have been treated unfairly without their welfare in mind, so always look for the logo.

We are now campaigning to bring in free range milk so you can be sure that the milk you’re buying has come from grazed cattle.

Many people are opting for seemingly healthier options - but are they?

Many milk substitutes contain less fat than whole milk but no less than skimmed or semi-skimmed.