LOS ANGELES: Driving north from Los Angeles toward San Francisco is one of natural beauty. Depending on the route taken, the sea could be just off to one side, but there are patches of road that are lined with cattle, in what appears to be an endless train of animals locked inside the supposed friendly confines of well-meaning ranchers. This is the heart of California's dairy industry, which Chinese producers say is helping to promote unhealthy environmental damage in the Asian country. Leading California's dairy industry is California Dairies, Inc., a self-proclaimed cooperative that produces over 17 billion pounds of milk products annually “for commercial and consumer use.” Across the state, companies like California Dairies have been instrumental in creating a market force that has literally taken the globe by storm. They export their products, consisting of butter, food services, manufacturing and even consult with domestic producers globally on how to increase dairy output. In California, however, this has led to massive environmental pitfalls. According to Jonathan Berry, a former executive at a leading US dairy manufacturer and now advocate against the dairy industry, the environmental consequences of this sector are being largely ignored. “Over the past few decades, as we have seen the rise in the corporate food manufacturer, these companies have put into practice archaic methods of agriculture that has adversely affected the natural surroundings,” he began. Berry argued that in California, where ardent dairy production has almost become synonymous with the landscape, there are areas that are uninhabitable for wildlife as a direct result. “There needs to be real studies by environmental groups on the impact that these massive dairy farms are having on our natural world and the health consequences that arise from this sort of gigantic production,” he continued. At one dairy, Berry admitted to overseeing the displacement of waste into the local water system, and fecal waste being dumped into nearby landfills. He says this is the status quo for dairy producers, who have done little to clean up their act, despite growing concern over the environmental impact of agriculture. “What we are witnessing is the PR campaign that tells people dairy is healthy and clean. People don't understand the overall impact on the environment and global warming that dairy has on our planet,” he argued. Environmental costs According to a 2006 report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization titled “Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options,” animal production is a leading cause of climate change and global warming. In California, there is proof that supports the UN's claims of the dangers of dairy and animal production. In parts of central California, as a result of the need for large quantities of water, soil erosion and “dead zones” have begun to rear their ugly head. “Dairy cows are not simply running around in a field and then every morning simply milked and that milk put in a container that is shipped to consumers,” said a former UC Davis environment professor Howard Thomas. He said people are often ignorant, or don't want to realize, how their milk is produced. “Cows are held in such conditions that if many people knew about them they would probably be outraged, in pens that automate the entire process to create gallons upon gallons of milk that is then treated to give people the product they desire,” he added. The China Conundrum In China, after centuries of an absence of dairy products, the country has begun an almost free for all into developing and establishing a massive domestic dairy sector. According to statistics, dairy production has rise on average 10 percent over the past few years. This, according to experts, has led to practices being followed that are eerily similar to those of California. “If our companies want to compete on even the domestic level, they have to produce more and more dairy in order to combat the importers,” said Agriculture Ministry official Xien Jiujang, who has overseen a number of dairy farms erected in the country over the past five years. China has seen profit and prices rise in the past few years. According to the National Animal Husbandry Service within the agriculture ministry, prices of livestock products has seen consumers pay an average of 6 percent more annually since 2008. This has led to efforts being bolstered to create a more active domestic dairy sector. According to ministry documents, the environmental degradation as a result of ill-practices from the domestic dairy industry is growing annually and if not curtailed, could lead to widespread problems that could last decades, said Chinese environmental activist Zhia Xianjin, who has written extensively about first-hand experience with the dairy industry in the Asian country. “We are witnessing the true effects of globalization on the ground here in China. If you go to one our dairy farms and then go online and look at the reports on conditions elsewhere, especially the United States, what we see are similar practices being implemented, even as we understand and know the natural consequences for these actions,” the blogger said in an emailed statement. Although there are no hard statistics on the impact of dairy in China and on its environment, according to a United Nations FAO official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, preliminary findings are worrisome. “The livestock and dairy sector in China is playing a vital role in changing the natural landscape in the country. Over the past two years, our researchers have seen waste, chemical and fertilizers dumped into the rural outskirts of farms, which has led to a number of environmental problems, both to people and to the ground,” the official said. According to the FAO, some 10 percent or more of soil surrounding dairy farms are unusable. When dairies are located near coastal areas, this also sees the destruction of marine life, which takes “decades to recover.” The official said that in a new report to be published later this year from the FAO, they will “highlight how California dairies have played an important role in helping to spur on this environmental degradation as a result of the practices they have implemented in order to maintain global supplies of milk products. It is something the FAO will work hard to combat in the coming period in order to implement a more sustainable agriculture industry across the world.” Looking to the future For many environmentalists it is an uphill task to battle the large dairy industry, who for decades has informed the public on the importance and necessity for milk in their daily lives. But times appear changing and according to experts, action needs to be taken now in order to curtail what could become a major disaster that could have been avoided. Johan Eggers, an Austrian environment professor at the University of Zurich, said that he believes sustainable practices and a better understanding of what is happening is needed in order to avoid the pitfalls that have occurred in China as a result of their desire to compete with the larger companies. “It should come as no surprise to experts that China, in order to compete with the California dairies who export their products worldwide, that they are following an almost identical plan to buttress their industry,” he began. “It worked in California and other areas to boost productivity and profits, but as we have seen, the environmental problems that have arisen are devastating.” He and others have called on governments and NGOs to help support sustainable growers who are making a difference. He pointed to Europe as a possible example of how this can be achieved. “If China were to follow a more European model, they would be able to boost profits and establish themselves as a leader in the industry, but the government must take initiative and help support these practices. What Europe has done is established a set of parameters, including the dumping of waste and the use of chemicals harmful to the environment, which has leveled the playing field and made sustainability the number one goal,” he added. For now, as China continues to follow the California model, experts and government officials continue to worry over the overarching consequences that the dairy industry is having on the environment and people's health. BM
