So, I’ve been thinking about our dairy industry, and I reckon it’s facing existential threats on a number of fronts. We know the environmental issues – water pollution, habitat loss, deforestation, methane and CO2 emissions. Animal welfare is also an issue, for example the ethical treatment of male calves.

And then there’s tech. Lab-grown milk protein is a thing now, and plant-based dairy is seeing big gains. Fonterra’s even investing into lab-grown milk proteins. See https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/130551099/labmade-milk-getting-the-creaminess-without-the-climate-pollution for other companies in NZ making lab-grown milk. When China realises mass production of casein in labs, demand for our milk powder will… evaporate. And that milk powder, is, what, 95% of the demand?

I don’t see how we can just ‘adapt’ dairy farming. These aren’t small problems, they’re insurmountable challenges. And those pressures are only going to increase.

If these threats are unlikely to be mitigated, the focus must shift towards planning how to downscale dairy farming in a responsible way. Industries have come and gone before ( whaling, anyone? ). Anyone got some thoughts on this? What will NZ look like in 20 years?

  • evanuggetpiOP
    3·
    11 months ago

    I live rurally and have tried to have this discussion with farmers and it generates frothy denialism. It’s like they’re standing on an exponential curve looking backwards and equating these pressures to the slower pace of change from the past, and thinking it will all be fine. I’m surprised there isn’t much national discourse about this.

    I’m a web developer and AI is already integral to my workflow, that’s another seismic change happening right now that seems harder to pin down the effects compared to lab-grown dairy.