| Since the end of the Second World War,
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| | negative environmental impact of this
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| milk has been mass-produced using
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| | practice is rife, affecting wildlife and
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| intensive farming methods. It has been
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| | soil quality. Nitrates from fertilisers
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| touted as good for us by health
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| | leach into our waterways, leaving water
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| professionals and the dairy industry for
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| | companies with millions of pounds worth
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| decades, the average Britain guzzles over
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| | of clean up costs each year in order to
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| 86 litres of it each year and children
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| | ensure the safety of drinking
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| love it, so it makes sense to ensure we
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| | water.Organic dairy farming does not
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| are getting it from a good quality
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| | permit synthetic chemicals to be used on
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| source.More and more people are willing
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| | pasture and relies on clover as
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| to dig a bit deeper into their pockets to
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| | fertiliser. Its implementation of more
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| find the extra few pence (or pounds) to
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| | traditional farming methods, such as crop
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| pay for the healthier option, and for
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| | rotation, helps to restore the balance of
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| many, that means going organic. Milk is
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| | wildlife and improve soil.Animal welfare
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| no exception.OMSCo (the Organic Milk
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| | is a topic that hits a nerve with many
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| Suppliers Cooperative) confirms milk to
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| | people. Standards in which animals are
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| be the largest single organic product in
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| | kept vary from farm-to-farm. For example,
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| the UK. Its increasing availability and
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| | on conventional dairy farms, cows do not
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| falling prices make it a popular choice
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| | have to be given bedding or much room;
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| for the consumer. On average, a pint of
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| | some farms never allow their cows to
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| organic milk will cost just 14 pence more
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| | graze outside and instead they remain
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| per pint than its non-organic
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| | inside in stalls and the grass is brought
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| counterpart, and buying multi-litre
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| | to them. Calves may be kept isolated from
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| cartons as many households do, means it
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| | their mothers and other calves and thus
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| works out even cheaper. Supermarket
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| | experience great distress.Organic dairy
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| shelves reserved for it are often bare,
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| | cows spend the spring and summer months
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| reflecting its demand.So why the sudden
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| | grazing on pasture and are housed
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| mad rush for the organic white stuff?
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| | comfortably during the winter with
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| Consumers have become increasingly
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| | bedding and plenty of space. Calves are
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| worried about artificial chemicals,
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| | allowed to socialise which is part of
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| antibiotics and pesticides that are
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| | their natural behaviour. Organic dairy
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| required to prevent disease and maximise
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| | farming requires higher standards of
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| milk production. With the average cow
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| | welfare for its animals.When dairy cows
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| being excessively milked to produce the
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| | are given nutritious, natural food and a
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| highest yield possible, which can be over
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| | better quality of life, this reflects in
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| 11,000 pints of milk per year (more than
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| | the quality of their milk. Research has
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| 10 times as much as they would naturally
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| | shown organic milk contains higher levels
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| produce for their calf), mastitis is
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| | of omega 3 fatty acids, beta-carotene and
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| common.Affecting 30 per cent of dairy
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| | other cancer-fighting antioxidants than
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| cows, mastitis is a painful infection of
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| | non-organic milk. Organic milk is more
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| the udder routinely treated with
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| | natural as it does not contain
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| antibiotics. The Dairy Council of the
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| | potentially harmful pesticide residues or
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| United Kingdom states that milk collected
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| | originate from cows fed genetically
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| from cows treated for mastitis in this
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| | modified food.This is not to say
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| way is not sold for human consumption,
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| | non-organic milk is bad. Not all farms
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| but some people still have concerns about
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| | are created equal; animal welfare
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| residues ending up in milk.Although
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| | standards and farming practices vary
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| antibiotics are still used in organic
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| | considerably. Organic dairy farming is
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| dairy farming, they are kept to a minimum
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| | nothing new; it is simply geared towards
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| and only used when absolutely necessary,
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| | age-old farming methods used before the
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| with priority being given to homeopathic
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| | Second World War, and not all organic
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| and herbal alternatives.The diet of dairy
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| | farms adhere to the same principles.If
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| cows consists of grass, silage (pickled
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| | you want to drink milk that is organic
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| grass), and hay. Large amounts of protein
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| | because you believe it is healthier or
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| are required to ensure milk demands can
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| | simply for your own peace of mind, how
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| be met. One way of achieving this is to
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| | can you be sure the milk you drink is
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| supplement the diet with high protein
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| | produced to high organic
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| concentrates that can be given in
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| | standards?Supermarket own-label brands
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| variable proportions, sometimes at
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| | are likely to be supplied by OMSCo. If
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| unnaturally high levels. This often takes
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| | the OMSCo logo is displayed on a pint it
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| the form of imported genetically modified
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| | means a farmer registered with a UK
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| cattle feed, which helps to keep feeding
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| | organic certification body has produced
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| costs down.There are strict regulations
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| | the milk. Certification bodies include
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| in place regarding the feed of organic
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| | The Soil Association, Organic Farmers &
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| dairy cows, and GM is a no-go area.
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| | Growers, The Organic Food Federation and
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| Instead the bulk of the diet is made up
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| | Demeter, all of which demand high organic
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| of grass, silage, hay and other green
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| | standards of their members. There are
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| plants rather than concentrates. Whenever
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| | also independent brands, which comply
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| concentrates are given they must be
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| | with strict organic regulations; a couple
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| GM-free and not animal derived.It stands
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| | to look out for include Rachel's Organic
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| to reason that whatever cows eat, ends up
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| | and Yeo Valley.Some farming principles
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| in their milk; animals absorb chemicals
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| | are still the same throughout organic and
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| just like humans. Pesticides and
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| | non-organic milk production, but if you
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| artificial fertilisers are sprayed on
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| | have decided to go down the organic route
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| pastures and chemical traces of
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| | it would seem to be a step in the right
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| pesticides have been found in milk. The
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| | direction.
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