Environmental reports and main stream media are often critical of different aspects of the New Zealand dairy industry. Here I summarise them together in one graphic. View at higher resolution by clicking on the image below.
References – resources for further reading on the impacts of New Zealand’s dairy industry.
- Blood phosphate from occupied Western Sahara
- Urea (synthetic fertiliser) made from fossil fuels
- Up to 11,000 L of water to make 1 L of milk
- Industrial irrigation
- 2 million calves removed from mothers and killed every year
- Palm kernel replaces wildlife habitat overseas
- Winter grazing (mud farming)
- Methane burps
- Climate heating
- 65% of milk dried with fossil fuels. Math: In 2022 95% of dairy exported, 68.24% was milk powder. Milk powder is dried using coal, natural gas and a small amount of diesel or liquid fuel. There is a tiny amount of geothermal used, the industry is investing in wood pellet fired boilers.
- Turned into junk food overseas. Nestlé is Fonterra’s largest customer. I recommend you do your own research into products which use milk powder as an ingredient and decide if they fit your definition of junk food or not.
- Nitrogen increases bowel cancer in New Zealanders
- Cow sewage & fertiliser cause algal blooms which kill animals
- 60% of NZ rivers not swimmable