From dailycollegian.com
By Lucy Peterson
Justifying the dairy industry is easy when we are so far removed from the animals themselves
I was spreading my favourite butter alternative onto a bagel the other day when I got to thinking about the dairy industry. People often ask, “What’s so wrong with consuming dairy? Cows produce milk anyway, right?”
While producing milk is natural for cows, we must consider why cows make milk in the first place. To produce milk, a cow must give birth in order to jumpstart the mammary gland. Nursing then stimulates oxytocin, which causes the muscles around the milk-producing tissue to contract, releasing milk into the teat for the calf. Naturally, calves wean over seven to 14 months, gradually shifting to grass and adult life.
In factory farming, however, the baby is separated from their mother and mechanical milking begins within a day or two of birth. When separated prematurely, both the mother and the calf display signs of distress through excessive pacing, calling out in search of one another and many other physical signs of agitation. Calves specifically are less likely to have healthy social relationships with other cattle and are more fearful of handlers when they are separated so young.
At birth, mother cow and calf bond, forming a lasting connection proven to foster social stability and psychological and physical development. Similar to humans on this front, cows form structured social groups, clear hierarchies, long-term friendships and have distinct personalities. They communicate through complex vocalizations and body language, have preferred companions within their herds and show affection through social grooming. Hierarchies within the herd are decided from grooming contributions and seniority (in terms of age and lived experience). Cows who spend their youth together are able to form trusting lifelong bonds.
While we may not participate in mutual grooming or live in herds, these ideas and attributes of cow populations are eerily familiar to human social structures. We all understand care, mentorship and social bonds, whether it be in our families, friend groups or communities here at the University of Massachusetts. The importance of having a senior mentor or guardian, like a mother or a trusted adult, are understood facts of life. So if all these are the same, can we justify the exploitation of cows for their milk just because they communicate differently than us?
When a cow and its calf are separated, mothers become depressed after experiencing such an intense hormonal shift throughout pregnancy and childbirth only to be taken from their child. They are milked mechanically multiple times daily, and when their dairy supply drops they are reimpregnated, continuing a cycle centred on exploitation. Calves either enter dairy production themselves or are raised in the meat industry.
As a feminist, I struggle with this industry built on exploiting female reproduction. Motherhood exists within every living species. Whether it is a turtle that lays eggs she will never see again or a chimpanzee that raises her child years beyond birth, all female organisms share the magical ability to create life.
Indeed, in human society, women suffer; the patriarchy often monetizes and oppresses female biology. Having grown up in the most liberal northeastern corner of the United States where conversations about bodily autonomy, consent and educational resources surrounding gynaecological health were readily available to me, I choose not to fund reproductive exploitation and the suffering of any female being.
Simple swaps like soymilk lattes, vegan butter or dairy-free ice cream offer accessible ways to reduce demand for this system. Why fuel the rhetoric that it is acceptable for humans to exploit women across the globe no matter their species, when there are easy and practical alternatives?
It is difficult to wrap our heads around suffering and exploitation when it is so ingrained into our society and we’re so far removed from it. When you go to the grocery store to buy milk, you can’t see the cow getting separated from her child to produce it. You just see a label, nutrition facts and a price tag. How can we blame people for not understanding the consequences of the food they eat when they were never taught to? But for the most of us who get our food from the store, we have the choice to refuse the option that fuels oppression and suffering.
For me, veganism is both a diet and a form of protest — it is being a part of a movement to dismantle a narrative that not only promotes the abuse of each other, but also of nature. Veganism is about educating yourself on the system that fuels our society while making little changes and steps in the direction that reduces suffering. It is finding new recipes, picking the plant-based option and thinking about the treatment of the animals you’re getting your food from before consumption.
https://dailycollegian.com/2026/10/your-friendly-vegan-lets-talk-about-dairy/
