With consumers leaning more and more towards dairy alternatives, could a move like this be the last

Do you think slaughter-free dairy farms is the solution for converting consumers back to dairy?

  • Yes

    Votes: 3 4.5%
  • No

    Votes: 63 95.5%

  • Total voters
    66

brianb

New Member
Leicestershire, has been recognised as the first UK dairy farm that is slaughter-free. Consumers over the years have become increasingly concerned with healthy eating and animal wellbeing, with the dairy industry receiving a lot of backlash by animal rights activists that have deemed the industry as “inhumane” and “unethical.” Introducing systems such as these could inevitably be the miracle the dairy industry needs right now. By showing consumers that producing milk can be done using ethical methods that guarantees the well-being of cattle and dairy farmers are able to produce dairy.​
 

RobFZS

Member
If you pander to these peoples prejudices, the next raft of people will come along that just don't want animals kept, how do you then appease that lot?

These are the same people that protest at the idea of Zoo's , so i wouldn't try and entertain them much.
 
I was in conversation with a chap last week, he has a footpaths near his farm. One of the walkers asked him if his cows produce skimmed or semi skimmed milk.

Engagement is better than pandering.
Same chap had people ask him why he was feeding his calves milk. They generally believed calves only needed water
 

brianb

New Member
Who says consumers are moving away from dairy? Demand is rising by 1% to 2% per year.
It may be on the rise, but alternative dairy products have shown evidence of being a real threat to the dairy industry. The younger generation, has shown interest in plant based diets; especially now since there has been recent rise in anti-dairy propaganda.
 

brianb

New Member
In the SW of Scotland Graham's and Nestlé (possibly others) are making a big deal of getting school children on farm to show them how milk is produced. Personally I think that is the only way animal rights propaganda can be countered by giving the facts and showing the high standards that most farms now work to.
I think systems like these are important, most children and adults are completely unaware of where their food comes from anymore. In addition this, it will help shut down any critique the dairy industry has received about animal welfare. If we keep people educated about how dairy farms really work, we can encourage more to consume dairy products.
 

brianb

New Member
Hmm So you end up with fields full of arthritic knackered dairy cows costing a fortune in vet`s fees to keep them alive.
Sounds downright cruel and inhumane to me

I see your point. When you put it like that, the real question is whether increasing a cattle’s farm life would result to a better standard of life for it.
 

Barleycorn

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Hampshire
In the seventies I had just got married. We had a lovely old shorthorn cow called Snowball, who would gently move her leg for you to out the cups on in the abreast parlour. Well at a very ripe age she couldn't get back in calf, and she had been with us so long we decided to let her live her life out in the oaddock in front of the farm. Half way through the first winter she really went back, and to be honest was not enjoying life, so we called the knackerman. On the brightside we got £120 for her which paid for the carpets in the cottage that we were moving into!
In a way animals are lucky to have the option of euthanasia when they are beyond it.
 

Clay52

Member
Location
Outer Space
Unfortunately I think the science is heading in that direction ,and test tube beef could happen.
See people say this but then with the "natural food " movement and people being against GM foods how many of these people want test tube meat.

In any case test tube meat still requires farming. The meat requires nutrients to grow which still will come from farmers.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,292
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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