AP Photo/Jim Mone
DCL
When the going gets tough, the organic dairy farmers lose. That's the gist of a recent article in the New York Times about the financial pressures facing the organic dairy industry, a result of rising costs and fewer consumers willing (or able) to pay more for organic milk, cheese and butter.
According to the article, some farmers have been told to cut their production by 20 percent, and some distributors have also slashed the price they pay for organic milk. There's also the issue of sales. Sales of organic whole milk in February were down 2.5 percent from the previous year, and organic reduced-fat milk sales dropped a staggering 15 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With dairy sales hemorrhaging, something's got to give.
I'm the first to admit organic foods can often cost more. But I'm just as quick to point out it can cost less if you shop right. Dairy products cost a lot more if you buy organic, there's no doubt about it. But there's a reason.
Many non-organic dairy cows are injected with hormones so they will produce more milk, but at least one hormone may be linked to a health concerns in humans, and it's not good for the cows either. Their udders become so heavy with milk they drag on the ground, which, not surprisingly, causes infection. The infection is treated with antibiotics, which can end up in the water table via the cows' urine, and which often results in puss and blood getting into the milk. Buying organic dairy eliminates these problems.
So what's a cash-strapped, eco-friendly consumer to do? To borrow a phrase from the '70s: Share the wealth, man. Cut back on some things to save money so you can buy healthier, greener foods.
