THE DAIRY INDUSTRY: A DATED AND DYING DANGER TO THE PLANET
ISSUES
Animal Abuse The U.S. dairy industry subjects over 10 million animals a year to abuse that, if done to dogs or cats, would lead to criminal prosecution. Baby cows are routinely separated from their mothers hours after birth, with mother and baby often crying out for one another for days or even weeks thereafter. Calves, which are very social in nature, are then isolated in small hutches, routinely exposed to both extreme heat and cold with minimal protection. Male calves -- of little value to the dairy industry due to not producing milk -- are often killed at days or weeks of age for the veal industry, or are simply disposed of. Females enter into a cycle of impregnation and familial separation, before being slaughtered once their production decreases.
Climate Crisis While the fossil fuel industry has been the focus of public policy to combat climate change, dairy has also been cited as a major contributor, yet remains largely overlooked.1
Public Health Scientists agree that the heavy use of antibiotics in livestock, including in the dairy industry, contributes significantly to the problem of drug resistance.2 3 The dairy industry also threatens public health by increasing pandemic disease risk; COVID-19, like SARS, the Spanish Flu, and many other outbreaks before it, is a zoonotic pathogen -- meaning it is transmitted between humans and animals (usually closely confined animals, such as at dairy farms).4 Animal agriculture uses the majority of the antibiotics in this country, creating drug-resistant superbugs which the World Health Organization says poses one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today.5 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) further warns that “…3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals.”6
1 Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth, The Guardian, www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-ear th. 2 Stop using antibiotics in healthy animals to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance, The World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/detail/07-11-2017-stop-using-antibiotics-in-healthy-animals-to-prevent-the-spread-of-antibiotic-resistan ce. 3 U.N. Issues Urgent Warning on the Growing Peril of Drug-Resistant Infections, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/29/health/un-drug-resistance-antibiotics.html. 4 Coronavirus and the karmic interconnectedness of humans, animals, The Hill, https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/486398-coronavirus-and-the-karmic-interconnectedness-of-humans-animals. 5 Antibiotic resistance, The World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antibiotic-resistance. 6 Zoonotic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zoonotic-diseases.html. Whistleblower Repression Yet when private citizens or whistleblowers report misconduct by agricultural enterprises, they are almost universally ignored -- except to prosecute the whistleblowers themselves.7 And these prosecutions actually escalated; since 2018, over 100 people have been charged in lawful protests for attempting to expose factory farm abuses and give aid to suffering animals. In one case, three women were arrested on multiple felony charges while trying to help a calf who had been left for dead at a California dairy farm.8
Government Subsidization Yet far from being taxed or regulated for its extensive destructive impacts, the U.S. dairy industry is the beneficiary of tens of billions of dollars in government subsidies annually.9
Public Opinion Americans are increasingly concerned about the impacts of animal ag, with 32.5% supporting an outright ban on animal farming.10
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
With the dairy industry already in steady decline -- and plant-based alternatives booming -- we call on public officials to end their support of the industry, and to proactively seek to reverse negative impacts on animal welfare, public health, the environment, free speech and public trust.11 12
1. An immediate end to support for the dairy industry, including subsidies, while instead promoting the growth of plant-based alternatives. Animal agricultural corporations hold disproportionate influence over our political process. Ending government support, and instead bolster subsidies to non-dairy alternatives (such as soy and oat) which are superior in terms of animal welfare, public health and the environment would create a safer and more democratic food system.
2. Creation of independent agencies to regulate food safety and animal protection. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s central mission is to promote agriculture -- it cannot simultaneously serve a watchdog role. One striking example of this failure is that farms are not required to disclose to the government how much antibiotic drugs they use, and federal inspectors are barred from making spot checks on farms to determine the prevalence of infections resistant to
7 Meet the Animal Rights Activists Facing Prison Time for Rescuing Ducks, Piglets from Factory Farms, Democracy Now!, www.democracynow.org/2019/6/6/direct_action_everywhere_dxe_duck_farm. 8 Three Women Charged With Grand Theft Felony For Saving Thrown Away Baby Cow, Common Dreams, www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/24/three-women-charged-grand-theft-felony-saving-thrown-away-baby-cow. 9 American dairy farmers depend on government subsidies, Markets Insider, https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/american-dairy-farmers-depend-on-government-subsidies-1015126442. 10 Survey of US Attitudes Towards Animal Farming and Animal-Free Food October 2017, Sentience Institute, www.sentienceinstitute.org/animal-farming-attitudes-survey-2017. 11 America's milk industry is struggling. Don't blame oat milk, CNN, www.cnn.com/2019/11/21/business/milk-industry-dean-foods/index.html. 12 New Products, Growing Demand Fuel Growth Of Plant-Based Food Sales, Forbes, www.forbes.com/sites/janetforgrieve/2020/03/10/new-products-growing-demand-fuel-growth-of-plant-based-food-sales/#1519 bd9b77cb. antibiotics. Independent agencies must therefore be created or empowered to ensure food safety and animal protection.13
3. Demand enforcement action against agricultural animal cruelty, and disavow the prosecutions of nonviolent factory farm whistleblowers. Instruct prosecutors and law enforcement to enforce animal cruelty provisions against agricultural enterprises, and protect whistleblowers and Good Samaritans who expose animal cruelty from unconstitutional prosecutions. Pass a resolution in support of the “Right to Give Aid.”14
4. Impose labeling requirements and steep taxes on products of animal exploitation. Although Americans are concerned with animal abuse, they do not encounter the animal abuse involved in producing animal products at the point of purchase. Federal, state, and municipal efforts must be undertaken to (a) disclose to consumers the routine cruelty in animal agriculture and (b) tax the products of exploitation.
5. Legal standing and personhood for nonhuman animals. There is a scientific consensus that animals are sentient individuals with emotional experiences very similar to humans. Denying an individual rights on the basis of species is arbitrary and discriminatory. Legal personhood must be extended to all animals, including basic rights to be free from violence and exploitation.
ABOUT DIRECT ACTION EVERYWHERE (DXE)
DxE is a global grassroots network of animal rights activists devoted to rescuing animals and exposing animal abuse across the world. DxE’s investigatory work has been featured in The Intercept, Washington Post and The New York Times.
13 Obama proposes single agency to oversee U.S. food safety, USA TODAY, www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/02/02/obama-proposes-consolidating-food-safety-oversight/22764529/. 14 Support the Right to Rescue, Direct Action Everywhere, www.righttorescue.com.