This Was 2024: The Fight Against Dairy Cruelty

Dairy’s Cruelty is Still Alive, Real, and Growing in 2024—Did We Make a Dent in the Fight for Change This Year?

In 2024, as global dairy consumption continues to rise and bird flu wreaks havoc on dairy farms, the challenges we face as activists are immense. The industry’s dark realities—mass depopulation of cows and ongoing animal welfare issues—seem overwhelming. Yet, amidst these adversities, there is a beacon of hope. Plant-based milk consumption is surging, and consumer awareness about animal well-being is at an all-time high. Our dedicated efforts through impactful campaigns and strategic partnerships have contributed to these positive changes. While the road ahead is long, the progress we've achieved together fuels our determination to create a vegan world. Let’s delve into the significant changes of this year and the inspiring journey that lies ahead.

Animal Welfare Challenges

The Triple Trickery Technique in Dairy Promotion

While some regions are introducing or updating animal welfare legislation for dairy, these changes often fall short of addressing systemic problems. Buzzwords like “sustainability”, “whole food”, and “animal welfare first” may look promising, but they seldom confront the core issues: the repeated breeding (and eventual slaughter) of cows, the forced separation of calves, and the harsh realities of mass-scale milking operations. True progress requires an end to the commodification of cows altogether—a transition to a world where these gentle animals are not exploited for profit in the first place.

Article in the New York Times, Dec. 16, 2024

Bird Flu & Other Emerging Health Threats

This year, the H5N1 strain of bird flu has created unexpected havoc in dairy farms, as contaminated milk samples raised alarm bells about the virus’s potential to spread among animals and humans. Although pasteurization can neutralize the virus in milk, the constant movement of milk, equipment, and workers on large farms heightens the risk of rapid transmission. This situation underscores one more truth: intensive animal farming, even for dairy, can become a breeding ground for dangerous pathogens—putting both cows and humans at risk.

Selective Breeding & the Price the Cows Pay

To meet rising demand, many farms selectively breed cows to produce ever-greater quantities of milk. While this may boost profits, it often leads to a decline in fertility, overall health, and lifespan for the cows themselves. We can’t ignore the ethical implications of pushing cows’ bodies to their limits. As advocates for a vegan world, we see the inescapable reality that no matter how “humane” the industry tries to appear, the fundamental exploitation remains.

The Dairy Sector vs. Plant-Based Dairy

The Global Dairy Market

Despite these challenges, the global dairy market is enormous—projected to reach US $1,336.4 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 4.7% from 2024 to 2031. Demand, particularly in Asia-Pacific, remains high, and “premium” products like organic or fortified dairy are becoming more popular. Yet behind these shiny marketing labels lie the same systemic issues we’ve noted: fluctuating costs of feed, fertilizer, and energy, along with concerns over animal well-being.

A Rising Alternative

Contrast this with the dairy alternatives market, set to hit US $75.3 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of 11.3%. This rapid growth is fueled by increasing numbers of people living with lactose intolerance, growing dietary restrictions, and ethical or environmental concerns. Innovations in oat, almond, soy, and coconut milk—alongside new methods like fermentation—are making these plant-based products tastier and more nutritious than ever before. Mainstream visibility (through grocery chains and marketing campaigns) is driving further acceptance, helping the world see that “milk” doesn’t have to come from a cow.

Our Work — Partnerships & Projects

Exposing the Dairy Industry Through Art

A key part of our mission involves harnessing the transformative power of art to expose the hidden realities of dairy farming. That’s why we’re thrilled to highlight our work with @praxis_vgz, which features a poster project is a campaign. This project uses art to reveal the truth behind the dairy industry, depicting the four harsh stages of dairy production: artificial insemination, separation of cows and calves, milking, and slaughter. The goal is to cut through the industry's misleading “greenwashing” terms like “Happy Cow,” “free-range,” "grassfed," and "organic,” and show the public what truly happens behind the scenes.

Activists and volunteers have worked to display these posters in major dairy capitals such as California, New York, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Albany—areas where the dairy industry is strongest. Through art, this campaign powerfully conveys the message that dairy production harms animals and encourages people to question the industry's false narratives.

Milk Bottle-Shaped Leaflets

Beyond visual art, we’ve also seen how creative handouts can draw attention to dairy’s dark side. Our milk bottle-shaped leaflets have turned heads at high-profile events, including protests targeting the Toronto Maple Leafs’ partnership with Dairy Farmers of Ontario—where players sported a “milk” patch since the 2022–23 season. During one practice, activists caused commotion by distributing these leaflets and highlighting the campaign’s “Dairy is Scary” message. Similar demonstrations took place at the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto, where organizers promoted dairy-free alternatives with these distinctive, eye-catching handouts. This approach underscores how even small, creative outreach efforts can make a memorable impact and spark public curiosity about a kinder way forward.

Ongoing Collaborations & Resources

Meanwhile, we continue to forge partnerships and develop resources for advocates everywhere. Whether you’re protesting at a local event, sharing plant-based recipes online, or simply starting your journey away from dairy, we aim to support you with tools that are impactful, accurate, and easy to share. With our website’s educational content on the realities of dairy, we’re committed to building a network that empowers individuals to stand up for animals. Each collaboration, campaign, and piece of art helps more people see that “normal” dairy practices are anything but compassionate—and together, we’re sparking the transition toward a truly vegan world.

The Year(s) Ahead

As we move into 2025, we’re gearing up for major changes that will broaden our reach and strengthen our community:

A Brand-New Newsletter: We’re excited to launch a fresh newsletter dedicated to in-depth updates, heartfelt stories, and tangible steps you can take to help end dairy exploitation. By subscribing, you’ll gain insider access to upcoming campaigns, behind-the-scenes insights, and special opportunities to get more involved.
Website Redesign: We’re giving our online home a major upgrade. Our goal is to make the site more intuitive, visually engaging, and fully equipped with the latest information, personal stories, and actionable steps to go dairy-free.
Paid Content and Outreach: We plan to invest in targeted content campaigns to reach new audiences who may not yet be aware of the realities behind dairy. By scaling up our outreach, we hope to spark conversations in unexpected places and inspire even more people to question the status quo.

Gratitude

Our progress wouldn’t be possible without every single one of you who shares our vision for a kinder, vegan world. From sharing a post on social media to distributing flyers, attending street protests, or simply rethinking your own dairy consumption, each action creates a ripple of change.

We also want to thank our volunteer, Michelle Bray, who has been tirelessly ready to lend a hand. And our advisors, both old and new, who work behind the scenes to keep our content accurate, up-to-date, and meaningfully presented. Your dedication, insight, and compassion form the backbone of everything we do.

Together, we’re building a safe and supportive community that brings us closer to a future where no cow is exploited for profit or convenience. We know the path ahead is long, but it’s a journey worth taking as we open our hearts, stand up for justice, and believe in a better world for all.

Here’s to pushing boundaries in 2025—and beyond—so that every mother and calf can live free from harm.