Cows the most efficient converters of soya to milk
Vegans and others who buy milk substitutes made from soya are harming the planet, a team of scientists have claimed.
Advising that milk from cows – and especially British cows traditionally grazed on grass – would be a far better option for those looking to see a more sustainable planet, the team of researchers found that 11 times as much soya was used to produce a litre of vegan milk as was required to produce a litre of cow’s milk.
The authors who conducted a major study of existing research papers calculated that about 85 litres of milk were produced in the UK for every kilo of soya bean meal consumed by dairy cows.
In contrast, no more than 7.5 litres of soya drink were produced from a kilo of whole soya beans.
“As a result, drinking milk from cows in the UK uses 11 times less soya than consuming drinks made directly from soya,” said the report which was written by Prof Mike Wilkinson from Nottingham University and Richard Young of the Sustainable Food Trust (SFT).
Global production of soya bean and palm oils had doubled over the last 20 years and consumption was still rising – and the paper published this week in the Journal of Applied Animal Nutrition said demand, driven by human and animal consumption, was leading to the burning and destruction of rainforests.
However, the researchers also noted that use of soya could be cut still further if farmers used more alternative sources of protein – and consumers actively sought milk produced from cows that grazed grass.
● Meanwhile a recent report produced by SAC consulting claimed that sustainable food could be at heart of economic recovery and nation’s health in the wake of the Covid crisis.
Work carried out by the organisation had shown that food transparency, local sourcing and ‘immunity’ eating were key drivers for consumer purchasing decisions.
“Given the sweeping change and extraordinary circumstances created by the Covid-19 pandemic, it would be easy for consumers to cast aside concerns for the environment and sustainability,” said Aistair Trail of SAC Consulting’s food & drink team.
However, he added: “The pandemic has in fact highlighted the value of sustainable food systems, our natural economy and of green technologies.”
Stating that there was rising consumer interest in buying healthy, nutritious food produced with minimal impact on the environment, he argued that there was an opportunity to channel the significant resources needed to get the economy back on track in a way that was consistent with the transition to a more sustainable future.
Trail added that public sector’s procurement could better support local producers and rebuild the nation’s health and wealth, with schools, hospitals and public buildings serving nutritious meals based on local, seasonal and sustainable raw ingredients: “This kind of joined-up approach should lay the foundations for a fundamental rethink of our food system. If we are to build a truly sustainable food future, the best evidence shows we must shift to a more sustainable and circular economy.”