Dairy’s Unintended Consequences
The history of why we drink cow’s milk illustrates how culture is the biggest barrier to tackling the climate crisis.
Milk, glorious, milk… whether it’s cheese, yoghurt, ice cream or a refreshing glass of milk, we can’t seem to get enough of the white stuff. Over 850 million tonnes of dairy is produced annually to meet demand for all things dairy. That’s a lot of milk. Enough for every person in the world to fill a bathtub full of milk (and bathe in it, if that’s your thing), and they would still have plenty left over for a cup of tea.
Since the day you were born, people have eaten lots of food made from dairy. It’s so normal to do so you’re more likely to be questioned for not consuming dairy because it’s embedded within cultures.
In The Evolution of Culture, the anthropologist Leslie White defines culture as “a rule system that… governs behaviour.” Cultures consist of “tools, implements, utensils, clothing, ornaments, customs, institutions, beliefs, rituals, games, works of art, language, etc.” Combine these various elements and cultures create an agreed way of doing things that unites individuals into a group of people with a shared understanding of the lived environment.
