Almond milk or cow's milk: Which is more environmentally friendly?

The environmental impacts of the animal food industry, especially cattle breeding, have been on the agenda of discussions about sustainability and the climate crisis in recent years. Consumption of animal milk and dairy products, which cause a surprising amount of damage to the environment in the production and supply process, from methane gas emissions to pollution of natural resources, has decreased significantly, especially in the last 10 years. Those who want to make more sustainable and healthy choices in their consumption preferences due to both its negative effects on human health and the damage it causes to the environment are now turning to plant-based milk and dairy products such as almond milk, oat milk and soy milk instead of cow's milk.

Although it is an inevitable fact that cow's milk production is a much more profitable industry compared to plant-based alternatives, the demand for plant-based milk alternatives, especially almond milk, is increasing rapidly with the changing consumption habits of conscious consumers. While the share of almond milk in the plant-based dairy industry was 63% in 2018, a 10% growth was recorded in almond milk sales in 2019.

As long as both almond milk and cow's milk come to our tables through industrial production processes, it is not possible to completely prevent the damage it causes to the environment in one way or another. However, when we consider all environmental parameters, from the amount of water used in production to the supply of raw materials, from pesticide use to greenhouse gas emissions, it is not difficult to decide which one is the 'best of bad' for the environment.

Almond milk is one of the most preferred milk among plant-based alternatives. In fact, its share in the global economy was worth $5.2 billion in 2018, and this figure is expected to reach $13.25 billion by 2025. Water consumption and pesticide (insecticide) use are the most prominent parameters in the evaluations made in terms of environmental damage in almond milk production.

Gone are the days when cow's milk was the only option in supermarkets. We now have much easier access to plant-based milk and dairy alternatives such as soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, and coconut milk compared to the past. Despite rising demand for plant-based milk, cow's milk has a thriving market worth $16.12 billion in the US and $718.9 billion worldwide (138 times the value of almond milk). So, what is the environmental balance of consuming cow's milk?

The biggest disadvantage of almond milk compared to cow's milk is that it is not an efficient option in terms of water consumption. Around the world, between 250,000 and 410,000 liters of water are used to produce the crop from almond trees. Considering that the California Central Valley, which meets 80% of the world's almond supply, receives only 80,000 to 320,000 liters of rain per year, we can say that the majority of the water used for almond production comes from clean water sources.

The scenario is exacerbated by the fact that almond trees grow best in hot, dry climates, with so many sources of clean water consumed in the production of almond milk. Clean water resources, which are limited in almond production areas that are already hot and dry, become even drier when unconsciously consumed for almond production, and this is one of the most important reasons for increasing forest fires.

Considering that approximately 12 liters of water is consumed for 1 almond and approximately 5 almonds are needed to produce 1 tea glass of almond milk, we can say that exactly 60 liters of water is needed for 1 tea glass of milk. On the other hand, the amount required to produce 1 tea glass of cow's milk is exactly 192 liters!

Considering that the average cow drinks between 50 and 200 liters of water in a day, dairy farming is an industry that consumes an incredible amount of water resources. Although most of this need can be met from rain water in some regions with heavy rainfall, in very large facilities it is met from mains water or underground sources.

In the US state of California, which ranks first in world almond production with 1.4 million tons, almond orchards make up 13% of the total agricultural land and this corresponds to an area of 1.5 million decares.

Unlike alternatives such as oats and soy, which complete their life after harvest, almonds are grown on almond trees that are planted at regular intervals and require maintenance all year round. Therefore, since the lands where almonds are grown are full of trees, it is not possible to plant other crops or leave the land fallow in the off-season. Almond trees live an average of 25 years. This means that farmers have no choice but to reduce production in times of water scarcity.

Deforestation is one of the biggest debates about the environmental damage of cattle breeding. The main culprit of deforestation in the world's largest and most biodiverse rainforests is generally known as cattle farming. The most important reason for this is that the nutrition of dairy animals, especially in the USA, is met from soy and the soybean plant is grown intensively in the Amazon.

Cattle farms are now responsible for 70% to 80% of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest (to make room for soy products and pastures) and 340 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Due to the increasing deforestation, the rate of absorption of carbon dioxide gas from the atmosphere by the Amazon Forests is also decreasing accordingly.

Which is more environmentally friendly: Almond milk or cow's milk?

When we evaluate all these criteria, almond milk seems more 'environmental' than cow's milk in almost every parameter except water and pesticide use. Although 3 times more water is needed to produce 1 glass of cow's milk than to produce 1 glass of almond milk, almond trees can meet most of their water needs from groundwater, which humans cannot use, without the need for irrigation.

Considering that greenhouse gases are one of the most important causes of global warming and that cows emit methane gas, which has 80 times more warming power than carbon dioxide, we can say that not only plant-based milk consumption, but also a vegan diet at a more macro level has a higher greenhouse gas reduction potential. As a result, almond milk consumption is a much more environmentally friendly option than cow milk consumption.