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Plant-based milk also has hooks and eyes
Plant-based milk is increasingly preferred over traditional milk. There is now also plenty of choice when it comes to plant-based alternatives. Think of soy milk, oat milk, rice milk and so on. Many consumers see it as a more environmentally friendly alternative, but is that really the case? Plant-based milk also has its ups and downs.
Veganism has really taken off in the past year and the demand for plant-based milk has also increased. Now that the supply is increasing, more and more consumers are choosing this variant over the traditional glass of milk. Many of them see it as a more environmentally friendly and healthier alternative. And this is confirmed by research from the University of Oxford: producing one glass of dairy milk produces almost three times more greenhouse gas emissions than producing a glass of plant-based milk.
Land use is also increasingly a point of attention when it comes to cow's milk. Mark Driscoll, founder of Tasting the Future and freelance food sustainability consultant, tells The Independent: "To produce one glass of milk every day for a year, it takes about 7.000 square feet (converted that is about 650 square meters). That is more than 10 times as much as with the production of the same amount of oat milk."
Big snags?
However, the vegetable version is not always better, according to journalist Emily Cope. "Vegetable is not only considerably more expensive (in the UK sometimes even 3 times as expensive as traditional milk), but in some cases also does not always have a positive effect on the environment." She mentions almond milk as an example. The excessive production thereof can have a negative effect on the bee population, especially in the United States. Most of the almonds come from there.
The Green Court of Audit wrote: earlier also about: "For many decades, especially in California, honey bee colonies have been used commercially to pollinate almond trees. In 2012, there were 2 million animals. Without honey bees, fruit set is limited and growers therefore pay a high price for hired nations." According to Driscoll, this share continues to increase as cultivation in the country becomes more popular. "In the long run, this could become a serious problem." The honey bees also compete with wild bees for pollen and nectar, which can reduce the population of the latter.
In addition, one glass of almond milk requires an average of 74 liters of water, which is considerably more than other plant-based alternatives (such as oat, rice and hemp seed milk). Still, rice milk has a larger 'water footprint'. One glass of rice milk is produced with 34 liters of water, but because rice fields have high levels of methane-producing bacteria, Oxford University that greenhouse gas emissions are higher. It should be noted, however, that considerably less water is still used than with dairy milk: 120 liters per glass. Soybeans are the most efficient when it comes to water.
Soy milk is also the only plant-based variety that comes close to the protein levels of traditional milk. There are, however, many concerns in this area about deforestation of the Amazon in order to achieve enough soy. Research recently showed that about 20% of soy exports to the European Union may have taken place through illegal deforestation. Although Driscoll does mention that these data are not always clear. "Most soy from South America is used in the livestock industry and not for milk. Soy for human consumption usually comes from North America, Europe or Asia."
Of course there are also niche markets in the market for plant-based dairy, such as coconut milk. Although coconut milk is a good choice if you pay attention to the water footprint (after all, little water is needed), it is less good if you consider the transport distance required. Coconut milk is mainly produced in Indonesia, the Philippines and India. “In these places, the pressure to meet demand can also lead to labor exploitation (and adversely affect local wildlife),” Cope said.
Vegetable or traditional?
Three options that, according to Cope, are really little to criticize are: oat milk, hemp seed milk and pea protein milk. Because oat milk is produced in cooler climates, it is not associated with deforestation and hemp seed requires little water and pesticides. "In addition, hemp breathes in four times more carbon dioxide than trees, which improves air quality, and the tall foliage plants are a perfect bee sanctuary."
But are these three varieties really better than traditional milk? The answer to that is difficult to give. Yes, when it comes to the ecological footprint of production, these plant-based alternatives are better, says Cope. "But when you look at health and protein levels, none of these strains can match the traditional glass of milk."
Kimberly Baker
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