Liquid milk sales are declining in the United States, indicating that, perhaps, American consumers are no longer drinking cow’s milk.
According to Horde’s dairyman, a national dairy farm magazine, liquid milk movement is at an all-time low in the United States. But at the same time, the quantity of milk in the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) is increasing. The latter is a program designed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure that dairy farmers in certain geographic areas across the country receive a fair price for their milk.
“After peaking at 30 percent from 2005 to 2017, fluid milk consumption of all federally ordered milk fell to 28.9 percent in 2018,” the publication reports. “It briefly goes above 30 percent in 2020 and 2021. Then, that metric dropped to … 27 percent last year — a 75-year low.”
In June 2022, the USDA commented that the decline in fluid milk consumption was likely due to dietary changes, as “individuals are consuming less milk on average.”
Dairy farms are also often closing up shop. Earlier this year, it was revealed that in Wisconsin, where dairying is a major industry, nearly 10,000 dairy farms have been lost in the past two decades. The state lost 400 dairy farms last year alone. Across the United States, there are now fewer than 30,000 dairy farms.
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On the upside: growth in the plant-based milk market
On the other hand, the market for plant-based milk seems to be growing. Food Navigator The report said that while there has been a slight decline in sales over the past three quarters, this can likely be attributed to rising prices in general across the food industry.
According to Bethany Gomez, managing director of consumer insight platform The Brightfield Group, the growth of the plant-based milk sector is helping other dairy-free categories grow as well. “Those who consumed plant-based milk were more than twice as likely to buy plant-based cheese, yogurt and ice cream,” he explained in a recent webinar. Food navigator.
This is a positive sign as these areas of the plant-based market are still quite small. Dairy-free milk, however, is a “quiet superstar,” says Gomez.
Research from Custom Market Insights backs up Gomez’s comments. In May 2023, the market research platform predicted that the global plant-based milk market would reach a value of $30 billion by 2030. It notes that the market is being driven by a “growing trend for vegan diets” as well as increases in lactose intolerance, calorie concerns, and increasing hypercholesterolemia. The latter refers to high cholesterol levels in the body. According to HealthlineConsuming full-fat dairy products can increase LDL cholesterol levels.
Sustainability is also a priority, especially for younger consumers, notes Custom Market Insights. And it makes sense that environmental concerns are driving people toward plant-based alternatives. Research suggests that of all the different types of milk available, from coconut to almond, from oat to dairy, it’s the worst for the planet. In fact, in 2018, an Oxford University study revealed that producing just one glass of cow’s milk produces almost three times more emissions than any plant-based milk alternative. Also, it requires about nine times more land.
“Greenhouse gas emissions from milk are about 30 times higher than human estimates,” says Adrian Camilleri, Ph.D. BBC news About the 2019 study. “I suspect that most consumers underestimate the greenhouse gas emissions by switching from dairy milk to plant-based milk like soy milk.”
To learn more about vegan milk, read:
Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on the south coast of England.