UK charity Animal Justice Project is calling on the British public to avoid dairy products on International Women’s Day, which takes place on March 8. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the treatment of cows in the dairy industry.
As part of the campaign, Animal Justice Project has commissioned research to gauge consumer awareness of common dairy industry practices. The results indicate low awareness among the majority of respondents — for example, 52% did not know that dairy cows are impregnated annually to enable milk production, while 83% were unaware that calves are often separated from cows within 24 hours of birth.
“These results are a serious eye-opener”
Furthermore, 82% did not know that dairy cows are typically slaughtered between the ages of 5 and 7, despite having a natural lifespan of 20-30 years, and only 17% felt that dairy companies provide consumers with enough information about how their products are made. Despite these low levels of awareness, 32% of Brits said they would be willing to have oat milk as the default option in cafes.
“These results are a serious eye-opener and it is clear that the public has no idea what happens to cows in the UK in the production of dairy products,” said Veganuary founder Matthew Glover. “It’s time we were enlightened and educated as part of a kinder and more sustainable society.”
“A bit weird”
The campaign comes less than a month after a study by Bryant Research found that most British people oppose common farming practices such as killing male calves because they cannot produce milk. Last year, a new version of the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) found that the vast majority of global food companies were making poor progress towards improving the treatment of animals.
Andy Shovel is the co-founder of British plant-based meat brand THIS and recently established abitweird.org to raise awareness of animal welfare issues.
“As a nation, we pride ourselves on kindness towards animals: we were the first country to introduce animal protection laws, the first to ban fur farms, and god forbid someone leaves a dog in a hot car,” he said.
“But when it comes to the dairy industry – ignorance is bliss. After decades of intensification and moral misgivings by intensive farming corporations – it could well be time for the UK’s wake-up call. These survey results paint a super clear picture – the animal-loving UK population doesn’t yet know what they really pay for when they buy UK dairy. And I think that’s A BIT WEIRD.”
