I’ve gone from lactose-intolerant to lactose-avoidant.
For the early part of my life, I was allergic to milk. Now, I’m sensitive to milk rather than sickened, but growing up without dairy meant I never developed a taste for it. There’s no form of cow’s milk that I enjoy. If I feel like testing fate – flavor and health wise – I’ll opt for skim. Most of the time, though, whether at the store or my local coffee shop, I pay the extra 50 cents to $1.50 to have an alternative.
Growing up, soy was my milk of choice. In my early teenage years, I turned to almond milk. Since high school, I’ve been a religious supporter of oat milk – despite this (hilarious and highly entertaining) Medium article attempting to persuade me against it.
My interest in dairy alternatives is not solely about flavor or texture or other culinary considerations.
With the climate crisis on the forefront of my mind, I’ve started looking into non-dairy milks from an environmental lens – what is the most sustainable option? How do these milks’ environmental footprint compare to traditional dairy? And, are these alternatives a long-term solution, or will they become another environmental drain?
To focus my investigation, I researched the most popular plant-based milks in the United States.
Statista reports that plant-based milks in the U.S. are a $2.9 billion industry. Of this, almond milk comprises $1.55 billion and oat milk represents $690 million, according to AgFunder News.
The same AgFunder News report found that, despite almond milk’s greater financial success, the overall number of units sold in 2024 fell by 8.9% while the number of units of oat milk increased by .5%.
This information combined with an informal survey of 23 friends, coworkers and magazine-personnel led me to concentrate on oat and almond milk.
“Personally, I feel like almond milk has a sort of film to it, and soy has a bitter taste,” said Alaina Taylor. “Oat milk doesn’t make my stomach hurt and still tastes good.”
Two students also noted the functionality of oat milk in a professional setting.
“I am a barista and I prefer oat as a milk substitute because it froths similarly to regular milk,” said Faith Scheerer. “Other substitutes, like almond, don’t foam as well and begin to separate.”
Almond received similar praise.
“I like that [almond milk is] kind of sweet and [thick],” said Zoey Patton. “It goes really well in coffee because I like a nutty flavor.”
Another pointed out a detail that makes almond milk more eco-friendly.
“Vanilla almond milk not only tastes better but usually comes in cardboard boxes rather than plastic jugs,” said Katie Vannaman. “This is much easier to recycle or reuse.”
Almond and oat milk are made through a similar process. The product is harvested and then soaked in water before being blended and strained.
This is a simpler process than that necessary for making cow’s milk market ready. Raw cow’s milk must be separated into cream and skim, heat-treated to kill bacteria and homogenized to ensure a smooth texture.
This doesn’t take into account that these products then have to be transported to stores across the country.
Information on the distance plant-based milks travel is hard to find, but standard dairy is estimated to travel up to 300 miles from the farm to the store, according to Morning Ag Clips.
This contributes to the overall footprint of dairy on the environment.
Information on the land and water used in the production of milk and plant alternatives allows for a more straight-across comparison of the materials needed to fuel our consumption.
Comparative information also allows us to view the consequences of our milk. These consequences include greenhouse gas emissions and eutrophication (the process of nutrients building up in a body of water resulting in the overgrowth of algae and plants, often at the detriment of wildlife).
At a first glance, plant-based milks seem like an obvious alternative to traditional dairy. This assumption, though, risks treating environmental concerns as though they have a silver-bullet solution.
In reality, when mismanaged, plant-based milks can also cause environmental harm.
In order to keep up with demand for dairy alternatives, and to yield higher profits, almonds have been monocropped – the practice of growing only one crop on a piece of arable land. Oats too have been monocropped, leading to soil degradation, erosion and a disruption of ecological balance.
Even as farmers move away from this practice, soil sciences professor Steven Anderson notes, soil healing and regeneration is a slow process.
Spraying herbicides to prevent weeds can kill microbes that live in the soil. Helpful microbes break down organic matter back into the soil, regulate soil pH and store carbon. Additionally, the pesticides used to protect crops have been associated with declines in honeybee population – one of the most important pollinators.
Steps have been taken to reduce these practices and their fallout. As California increasingly struggles with droughts – detrimental to their production of almonds – they’ve begun decreasing the acreage of almond farms and consequently, decreasing monoculture.
Further, growing oats has helped decrease monocropping for livestock feed, as it offers farmers an alternative/addition to the soy and corn usually grown to feed animals.
The solution is not to replace all dairy with a single alternative, but rather, to rely on multiple sources of milk to decrease the pressure on one. If the weight of milk demand is spread across several forms of harvest, processing and manufacturing, the environmental consequences associated with each form are lessened.
If we rely on plant milks more, we can decrease the amount of land needed to hold livestock, in turn decreasing the amount of emissions resulting from cattle. If we rely on oat milk in addition to almond milk, we reduce the strain on water necessary for the latter. If we rely on almond milk in addition to oat milk, we reduce the emissions created by the former.
This is not a story of finding a singular solution, but rather, finding a way to consume consciously so that we can actively protect the earth and prevent damage to the soil.
To combat erosion, Anderson recommends cover crops – plants that cover soil and anchor it in place.
No-till farming (farming without breaking up and turning over the soil) will not only reduce the risk of being eroded by wind and water, but also prevent the carbon sunk in soil from being oxidized, Anderson said.
Crop rotation, too, allows the soil to replenish and promotes biodiversity while also allowing farmers to profit around the year as they are able to plant and harvest year-round, such as growing corn, wheat and soy – which have different growth cycles.
Anderson stresses the importance of forethought in farming. Good long-term yield and business are dependent on sustainable practices now.
“We [humans] have a high demand,” Anderson said. “That has a huge effect on the environment.”
Consumption cannot be unconscious.
We must be deliberate about how we consume and about what we consume. To aid farmers in their move to more sustainable practices, we as consumers must understand the origins of the products we buy and use our economic influence to support eco-conscious brands.
As Anderson said, good farming will always prioritize the longevity of the land, which not only increases profits in the long run, but continually draws in eco-conscious consumers – decreasing the cost barriers to sustainability.
As I mentioned earlier, opting for plant-based milk often comes with an upcharge. This means that, for those of us who can afford this fee, we continue to buy it. If more consumers support ethically and environmentally-minded businesses, then eventually more brands will move in this direction and the prices will decrease.
Califia is an oat and almond milk producer, and is certified ethical by the Good Shopping Guide, which takes into account environmental practices, energy use and animal welfare.
We are individuals when it comes to fighting pollution and the climate crisis, but if we all act independently, we eventually act as a group and promote sustainability across all industries. So, why not start with our milk and help move our dairy crops and livestock towards a more sustainable existence?
“The key to good business and good farming,” Anderson said, “is good stewardship.”