Ethical Dairy - Important Points to Consider

I love yoghurt, apart from being great for your digestive system and digestion, it is delicious. When we stop to think about where milk actually comes from, we realise that there is more to take into account than just if it is organic, sugar free or has preservatives or not.

Cows, like women, can’t produce milk unless they have just conceived. Some dairy farms treat the calves born at dairy farms ethically and some do not. Being mindful of ethical food practises and ethical cruelty free practises means that we have the opportunity to support those farmers and companies who are doing things right and caring for those animals that give us sustenance, nutrition and even their lives.

When researching what certain dairy companies do with their “bobby calves” (the calves born from dairy cows- that some farms mistreat starve and transport inhumanely), the ethics and methods used by the Barambah Organics farms and Elgaar Farms impressed me. Both Barambah Organics farms and Elgaar Farms have great animal welfare policies and cruelty free practises that are worth backing. See more on their websites:

https://barambahorganics.com.au/our-story/

https://www.elgaarfarm.com.au/

These two are just an example, there are more farmers and people doing things right. For me it is important to support these companies even if it means paying a little more for our products, that way you can enjoy the gift these animals give us knowing we have honoured their lives humanely. A good resource for checking that the animal products you consume are ethical is the Ethical website: http://www.ethical.org.au/

You can search all sorts of products sold in Australia and see their ratings, there is also a great app.

And remember each of us has the power to make a difference.

By Sarah Chambers

BHSc. (Nat), Dip.Remedial Massage, BVA