A statement of purpose and ethics is required as a preface to the consulting work.

Dairy products are a cultural mainstay for people in North America and in Europe. The Dairy industry is also a powerful economic force in terms of farming and food production. Dairy farming provides a livelihood and a lifestyle for thousands of farmers and their families. For over a century, leading health experts have told people to drink milk copiously, and eat dairy because it is healthy. It is one of the major food groups recommended by government for a well balanced diet. If the anti-dairy movement is wrong, as claim dairy proponents, there is the potential of harm to those who go off diary and possibly miss vital nutrients. Should dairy products in fact be “essential” to the human diet, a great many people in North America and in Europe would suffer from severe malnutrition by refusing dairy, or by becoming vegetarians. Also, if enough people decline dairy product consumption, farmers and agricultural workers may loose jobs. The justifications for launching an anti-dairy campaign must therefore be rock solid.

To challenge the dairy establishment, one must have a VERY valid reason. Upon closer inspection of the topic, I had to believe for myself that the evidence put fourth by anti- dairy activists is valid.

I first heard about the anti-dairy movement as a reporter, five years ago, while covering a local alternative medicine, pro vegetarian event. I did not think much about the anti-dairy movement then. I criticized them harshly in fact (using propaganda given to me by the diary industry). In my first news report on the group I summarily criticized the scientific value of anti-dairy research by accusing the group of excessively relying on “correlation” data. I know that with creative statistics, anyone can make a point about almost any issue. Relying on dairy industry documentation, I reported that anti-dairy groups practiced “junk science.”

As vegetarianism and the anti dairy movement began to be taken seriously by many in the health establishment and by the general public, anti-dairy groups continued to put out valid research, which challenged the Dairy industry and its claims. Upon closer examination of the topic, and after several more stories on the anti-dairy movement, I began to question the credibility of the Dairy industry. There is mounting concern about “Mad Cow” disease, bovine growth hormones, antibiotic drugs given to cows, and a slew of e-coli bacteria contamination scares. The dairy and meat industries became less forthcoming, and less able to explain themselves after each new crisis. That still did not stop me from consuming dairy products.

In my own life, I was an avid milk drinker, and dairy consumer. About four years ago, after suffering chronic stomach problems, my doctor advised me that I was partially lactose intolerant. Basically, I can eat dairy in small amounts. If I eat too much, however, an hour later it feels like I got a kick to the stomach. After the pain, I pass allot of gas, which makes me smell like something died in my stomach. I found out for myself that I could go through life without having any dairy products whatsoever. From fruits and vegetables, I can get the calcium and nutrients I need, that I used to get from dairy. I also love soymilk. I found out I was not alone, as many people in the world, outside of North American and Europe, do not consume dairy products as part of their diets, and they live long and healthy lives. Additionally, people I know who have adopted vegetarian, vegan, or non-dairy diets are among the healthiest and health conscious individuals I know. This forced me to have a new perspective on the issue. If milk products make me feel so bad after I consume them, and I can be healthy without dairy, then why force myself to consume dairy at all? Those anti-dairy folks may have had a point after all.

I started some serious research into the topic of dairy consumption and health. Today, there is much research on the topic, pointing to the negative health effects of consuming dairy. Namely, dairy is not good for humans. Dairy has excessive fat content, bovine hormones, anti biotic chemicals, and contaminants in milk from poor quality harvesting methods. There is also plenty of misinformation put out by companies such as Monsanto, and on the part of the dairy companies themselves.
I believe that educating the public about the problems in dairy is ethical, and a good cause to advocate for.