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Organic Milk: How is It Different from Non-Organic Milk?

Since the end of the Second World War,rife, affecting wildlife and soil
milk has been mass-produced usingquality. Nitrates from fertilisers leach
intensive farming methods. It has beeninto our waterways, leaving water
touted as good for us by healthcompanies with millions of pounds worth
professionals and the dairy industry forof clean up costs each year in order to
decades, the average Britain guzzlesensure the safety of drinking
over 86 litres of it each year andwater.Organic dairy farming does not
children love it, so it makes sense topermit synthetic chemicals to be used on
ensure we are getting it from a goodpasture and relies on clover as
quality source.More and more people arefertiliser. Its implementation of more
willing to dig a bit deeper into theirtraditional farming methods, such as
pockets to find the extra few pence (orcrop rotation, helps to restore the
pounds) to pay for the healthier option,balance of wildlife and improve
and for many, that means going organic.soil.Animal welfare is a topic that hits
Milk is no exception.OMSCo (the Organica nerve with many people. Standards in
Milk Suppliers Cooperative) confirmswhich animals are kept vary from
milk to be the largest single organicfarm-to-farm. For example, on
product in the UK. Its increasingconventional dairy farms, cows do not
availability and falling prices make ithave to be given bedding or much room;
a popular choice for the consumer. Onsome farms never allow their cows to
average, a pint of organic milk willgraze outside and instead they remain
cost just 14 pence more per pint thaninside in stalls and the grass is
its non-organic counterpart, and buyingbrought to them. Calves may be kept
multi-litre cartons as many householdsisolated from their mothers and other
do, means it works out even cheaper.calves and thus experience great
Supermarket shelves reserved for it aredistress.Organic dairy cows spend the
often bare, reflecting its demand.So whyspring and summer months grazing on
the sudden mad rush for the organicpasture and are housed comfortably
white stuff? Consumers have becomeduring the winter with bedding and
increasingly worried about artificialplenty of space. Calves are allowed to
chemicals, antibiotics and pesticidessocialise which is part of their natural
that are required to prevent disease andbehaviour. Organic dairy farming
maximise milk production. With therequires higher standards of welfare for
average cow being excessively milked toits animals.When dairy cows are given
produce the highest yield possible,nutritious, natural food and a better
which can be over 11,000 pints of milkquality of life, this reflects in the
per year (more than 10 times as much asquality of their milk. Research has
they would naturally produce for theirshown organic milk contains higher
calf), mastitis is common.Affecting 30levels of omega 3 fatty acids,
per cent of dairy cows, mastitis is abeta-carotene and other cancer-fighting
painful infection of the udder routinelyantioxidants than non-organic milk.
treated with antibiotics. The DairyOrganic milk is more natural as it does
Council of the United Kingdom statesnot contain potentially harmful
that milk collected from cows treatedpesticide residues or originate from
for mastitis in this way is not sold forcows fed genetically modified food.This
human consumption, but some people stillis not to say non-organic milk is bad.
have concerns about residues ending upNot all farms are created equal; animal
in milk.Although antibiotics are stillwelfare standards and farming practices
used in organic dairy farming, they arevary considerably. Organic dairy farming
kept to a minimum and only used whenis nothing new; it is simply geared
absolutely necessary, with prioritytowards age-old farming methods used
being given to homeopathic and herbalbefore the Second World War, and not all
alternatives.The diet of dairy cowsorganic farms adhere to the same
consists of grass, silage (pickledprinciples.If you want to drink milk
grass), and hay. Large amounts ofthat is organic because you believe it
protein are required to ensure milkis healthier or simply for your own
demands can be met. One way of achievingpeace of mind, how can you be sure the
this is to supplement the diet with highmilk you drink is produced to high
protein concentrates that can be givenorganic standards?Supermarket own-label
in variable proportions, sometimes atbrands are likely to be supplied by
unnaturally high levels. This oftenOMSCo. If the OMSCo logo is displayed on
takes the form of imported geneticallya pint it means a farmer registered with
modified cattle feed, which helps toa UK organic certification body has
keep feeding costs down.There are strictproduced the milk. Certification bodies
regulations in place regarding the feedinclude The Soil Association, Organic
of organic dairy cows, and GM is a no-goFarmers & Growers, The Organic Food
area. Instead the bulk of the diet isFederation and Demeter, all of which
made up of grass, silage, hay and otherdemand high organic standards of their
green plants rather than concentrates.members. There are also independent
Whenever concentrates are given theybrands, which comply with strict organic
must be GM-free and not animalregulations; a couple to look out for
derived.It stands to reason thatinclude Rachel's Organic and Yeo
whatever cows eat, ends up in theirValley.Some farming principles are still
milk; animals absorb chemicals just likethe same throughout organic and
humans. Pesticides and artificialnon-organic milk production, but if you
fertilisers are sprayed on pastures andhave decided to go down the organic
chemical traces of pesticides have beenroute it would seem to be a step in the
found in milk. The negativeright direction.
environmental impact of this practice is



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