Oat milk: A biodiversity friendly and dairy free alternative
By Katie Reid and Malin Bohne of the Food Committee
Dairy farming and the impact on local biodiversity
The dairy farming industry is the biggest consumer of land within the Netherlands, using approximately 29 % of the total land. This means that the dairy-farming sector has a big impact on the agricultural landscape, which in turn has a significant impact on the habitats of the local flora and fauna or, in other words, biodiversity.
Biodiversity in agricultural areas is on the decline, not only in the Netherlands but all over the world. For instance, the population of mammals, breeding birds and butterflies in the Netherlands fell by around 40 % between 1990 and 2013 according to WWF.
Dairy farming in particular has had a significant impact on biodiversity, as market pressures and declining revenues have forced farmers to increase farm size and intensify production. This resulted in the intensive use of grasslands for grazing and the increasing use of pesticides and fertilisers on farms. Such acts pollute and damage the waterways and soils, which is harmful to both animal and plant life.
An alternative to cow's milk
A great alternative to cow’s milk, with a much lower impact on biodiversity, is oat milk. In North-West Europe, the climate and soils are suitable for oat cultivation, which requires low levels of fertilisation and input of chemicals. Oats are also easy to grow organically and can be used within crop-rotation systems to improve soil quality, which is crucial for healthy ecosystems.
Besides being biodiversity friendly, oat milk is beneficial in terms of lower water requirements, greenhouse gas emissions and land use. So, altogether, this makes oat milk a great alternative that releases some of the pressure on biodiversity and the planet. What more could you want?
Oat milk recipe
You can easily make your own oat milk at home as it only requires a few ingredients:
- 1 litre of water
- 70 g of oats
- 1 tsp of sweetener
And by making your own oat milk, you will not only save money but also reduce the amount of household packaging waste. It is a win-win!