Amanda Waxman
Goat’s milk might seem like a healthier or more ethical alternative to traditional cow’s milk, but closer examination reveals that the two products aren’t all that different.
Soy, oat, almond… goat? In recent years, goat’s milk has risen in popularity as an alternative to traditional cow’s milk. With packaging that conjures images of adorable baby goats grazing in backyard family farms, it’s no wonder that the product has taken off among ethically-conscious consumers—appearing everywhere from fancy charcuterie boards to high-end skincare products. However, marketing can be deceiving, especially when it comes to animal products.
While well-intentioned consumers may assume they’re making a more ethical choice when opting for goat’s milk instead of traditional cow’s milk, it turns out that goat’s milk doesn’t actually offer many benefits over cow’s milk. In fact, when it comes to their impact on your health, the planet, and animal welfare, goat’s milk and cow’s milk are practically one and the same.
Myth: Goat’s milk is good for your health.
Goat’s milk actually has a very similar nutritional profile to cow’s milk, but there’s one critical difference between the two: goat’s milk is higher in calories and saturated fat. In fact, goat’s milk is higher in calories than any other type of milk, animal or plant-based. Of course, calories themselves aren’t necessarily an issue—but, when combined with the heightened risk of heart disease and high cholesterol associated with saturated fats, goat’s milk is not the best choice for those trying to watch their heart health.
Goat’s milk and cow’s milk have another important thing in common: they both contain lactose. That means, if you’re among the 65% of the population who suffers from lactose intolerance, your body can still have an adverse reaction to goat’s milk, with symptoms including painful bloating and nausea.
Meanwhile, plant-based milks like oat and almond contain no lactose or saturated fats. They’re also fortified with the calcium, B vitamins, and protein your body needs, while providing a similar rich, creamy flavor profile to dairy milks. Plant-based milks also serve as a base for delicious yogurts and cheeses, too—in fact, if you crave the unique flavor and texture of goat cheese, vegan cheese brand Treeline announced the launch of their artisanal, plant-based version in grocery stores everywhere this coming spring.
The bottom line
Goat’s milk contains more calories and saturated fats than cow’s milk, and still contains lactose—making it a no-go for those with lactose intolerance. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, try plant-based milks instead.
Myth: Goat's milk is more humane than cow's milk.
All mammals have one thing in common: they produce milk to feed their babies. Goats are no exception. Goats don’t constantly make milk—their bodies produce it for the specific purpose of nourishing their newborn babies, and they only do this when they are pregnant and nursing. When humans decide to bottle up and sell the goat’s milk for their own consumption, they exploit mother and baby goats in a way that can be outright cruel.
This exploitation starts when farmers artificially inseminate young female goats, forcing them into pregnancy. After these goats give birth, they instinctively want to care for their babies, and their babies instinctively want to nurse from them. But, since it’s taking the mother’s milk for human consumption, the goat dairy industry can’t allow the natural bonding and feeding process to take place. The industry takes baby goats away from their mothers within a few hours or days of their birth—a cruel practice that traumatizes both mother and baby. The distressed mothers cry out for their babies, hanging on to the memory of their baby’s voice for years to come. If mother goats and their babies are allowed to live out their lives fully outside the dairy industry, they often spend their whole lives together—sticking together side-by-side even when goat kids are fully grown up.
And, sadly, the cruelty doesn’t stop at separation. While the industry hooks mother goats up to milking machines that take three to four liters of milk from them every day, it sends their babies off to endure even more horrific forms of abuse. Because they can’t produce milk that profits the dairy industry, male goats are either sent to slaughter right away or “fattened up” before they are sold for meat. If the farm does decide to keep male goats alive, it subjects baby male goats to the painful process of castration—often without anesthetic—when they’re just a week old.
Both male and female goats undergo another painful mutilation known as “disbudding.” During this process, a hot iron is pressed onto a baby goat’s head, right where their horns are just starting to grow. This burns and destroys sensitive horn tissue, preventing its natural growth. Disbudding is comparable to amputating a human finger or toe, and, once again, baby goats often endure the procedure without anesthetic. Undercover investigations of factory goat farms show babies screaming out in pain during the disbudding process, helpless in the face of horrific abuse.
Overall, the treatment goats experience in the commercial dairy industry is a far cry from the sunny pasture depicted on goat’s milk packaging. In addition to the trauma of separation and mutilation, most goats are “zero-grazed:'' an industry term which means they have no access to pasture or any outdoor space whatsoever. The truth is, a majority of the goat’s milk you see on grocery store shelves comes from factory farms that abuse and exploit animals in the worst ways imaginable—often in the very same ways that the dairy industry exploits cows for their milk, too.
The bottom line
If you’re concerned about animal welfare, goat’s milk is not a more ethical or humane choice than cow’s milk. The goat milk industry subjects goats to physical abuse and emotional trauma in order to bottle and sell the milk they produce for their babies.
Myth: Goat’s milk is better for the environment.
Since scientists have long documented the connection between cows and climate change, it would make sense to assume that goat’s milk at least offers some environmental benefits over cow’s milk. Once again, this idea is mostly a result of marketing and not actually a reflection of reality.
When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions—the driving force behind global climate change—studies have found that goat farming is “on par” with cow farming. And, like other forms of industrial farming, commercial goat dairy drives habitat destruction, too. These farms clear natural forests and grasslands, encroaching on the homes of native plant and animal species in the process. Goats on factory farms also produce massive amounts of waste, which can pollute surrounding rivers, lakes, and streams, harm underwater ecosystems, and put local drinking water supplies at risk. When you add in the impacts of growing feed for the goats and transporting them across the country, goat’s milk really doesn’t present any clear environmental benefit over cow’s milk. Both industries have a serious sustainability problem.
Meanwhile, most plant-based milks—especially increasingly popular varieties like oat and hemp—use a fraction of the water and land that animal-based milks require, and their production generates much fewer greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, depending on the farming methods used, growing crops for plant milk production can actually build soil health and sequester carbon from the atmosphere. This means that the plants absorb and store the excess carbon emissions, potentially slowing the process of climate change. So, plant milks don’t just have a lower negative impact on the environment than dairy milks—they could actually have a net positive impact.
The bottom line
Studies show that goat’s milk production doesn’t have a significantly different impact on the environment than cow’s milk production. However, there is evidence to support that plant-based milks have a much lower environmental impact than both goat’s and cow’s milk.
Fact: Plant-based milks are a great choice for your health, for the animals, and for the environment.
We can get all of the nutrients and familiar flavors we love from plant-based milk, and its production doesn’t rely on the inhumane, unsustainable practice of keeping animals in factory farms. If you’re interested in ditching dairy and opting for plant-based alternatives, check out our free Eating Veg starter guide for tips and tricks!
