By Lizzie Rowe, Sustainable Food Trust
One of the best ways to source dairy in an ethical and sustainable way, for those of us who choose to consume it, is to buy it directly from farms. Instead of shelves of unfairly-priced milk from faceless farmers and uncertainty around production methods, consumers can get to know both farmer and their animals, and the animal welfare and environmental standards of the farm.
By Alex Heffron, Sustainable Food Trust
People want to know more about where their food comes from – that’s well-evidenced now. They want connection, identity and trust. They want to know the names of the cows, the diet they eat and how the calves are treated.
By Jody Tishmack, Anima/Soul
Some people may have caught a recent news story about animal abuse at Fair Oaks dairy farms in Indiana. The video was part of an undercover operation to show how animals are really treated at Fair Oaks Farms.
By Kalie llana Cassel-Feiss, Fibershed
Melissa and Spencer lease from the ARC now with the agreement that the land is to be maintained as a working farm. Melissa is excited about soil testing, so they can show the Conservancy how soil health, viewed through carbon content and soil organic matter, can improve over time with proper livestock management.
By Staff, IATP, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Today, IATP and GRAIN jointly published a first of its kind study that quantifies emissions from 35 of the world's largest meat and dairy companies and scrutinizes their climate plans. What do these companies intend to do to reduce their share of emissions for the world to avoid climate catastrophe?
By Emily Franklin, Sustainable Food Trust
The most recent turn in the UK dairy crisis is the rejection of milk by young people, replaced by alternatives such as soya or almond milk. David Dobbin, the chief executive of United Dairy Farmers has described this as a “demographic time bomb”.
By Megan Perry, Sustainable Food Trust
Mat Boley’s dairy farm in Somerset seems to be achieving the impossible.
By Hannah Steenbergen, Sustainable Food Trust
Finding innovative ways to provoke discussion and engage people with where their food comes from and how we value it as a society is an interesting challenge. This is exactly what Nessie Reid’s Milking Parlour exhibition in Bristol city centre set out to do.
By Gene Logsdon, The Contrary Farmer
The increasing interest in artisanal foods is opening up all kinds of opportunities in farming that could hardly have been predicted even a few years ago. Who would ever have thought a good market for small, backyard hen coops would open up.
By Nessie Reid, Sustainable Food Trust
In spring 2016, Nessie Reid will be exhibiting The Milking Parlour in Bristol, a performance based public exhibition exploring the values we hold towards our food and the type of relationships we possess with our food and farming system in general.
By Simon Fairlie, The Land
The dairy industry does not need a massive injection of taxpayers' money, such as was given to the banks; it just needs some price stabilisation, as was provided to some extent by the Milk Marketing Board before it was abolished by an earlier Conservative government.