Struggling farmers call for ban on almond and soy extracts being called ‘milk’

Calls are growing to ban the word “milk” being applied to popular extracts as veganism gains ground across Australia and water prices skyrocket due to demand for alternative crops.

Stricken dairy farms in Victoria’s north are being replaced with water-guzzling almond groves as “big business with deep pockets” exploit the milk alternatives trend.

Sales of almond milk have skyrocketed over the past five years, as veganism gains ground across the country.

Such is the level of concern among dairy farmers, they are lobbying the federal government to ban the word ‘milk’ from being used in reference to almond, soy and other substitutes on labels and in marketing.

United Dairy Farmers of Victoria president Paul Mumford.

In a special report, the Sunday Herald Sun last week revealed dairy farmers were going broke and culling their herds because of skyrocketing water prices.

United Dairy Farmers of Victoria (UDV) president Paul Mumford yesterday said some farms were being snapped-up at low prices by those investing in almonds.

“There is a huge new agricultural industry emerging and it’s born out of corporations with very deep pockets,” he said. “My concern is these deep pockets are actually changing the demographic in the north and it’s exacerbating the problem for dairy farmers because it’s pushing up water price.”

Mr Mumford said any substance which came from almonds and other plants should be called ‘extract’, ‘juice’ or given another name, not called milk.

Referring to it as milk was misleading to consumers, who could think they were drinking a product as “clean, green and nutritious” as cow’s milk, but which was actually processed and had nutrients added, he said.

Caught up in the dairy crisis, Yalca farmer Steven Dalitz is culling his herd. Picture: Rob Leeson.

A recent report by market research company IBISWorld shows the plant-based “milk” industry has grown by 4.1 per cent every year, for the past five years to 2018-19, to $165.8 million.

Almond milk is the second only to soy milk in popularity.

Meanwhile, dairy farmers are calling for greater transparency in water trading in Victoria’s north, so they know who or what is trading water, and driving up the price.

Murray Dairy chief Jenny Wilson said the number of “speculators” in the market, who did not have water allocations tied to land, had recently jumped from seven to 12 per cent.

A spokesperson for Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville said the government knew water trading was a big issue for irrigators.

“The names of buyers and sellers of water allocation are not publicly available due to privacy concerns, but changes to this system are being considered,” she said.

Black Velvet barista Tom Glen makes an almond milk latte. Picture: Ian Currie

HOLD THE REAL MILK, PASS THE ALMOND

Coffee drinkers are switching to almond milk in droves and are willing to pay for it, according to Melbourne baristas.

At hip Melbourne coffee roastery Black Velvet — which has two stores in the CBD — about half of all customers ask for dairy substitutes.

Himself a black coffee or full-cream dairy milk man, Black Velvet owner Darren Silverman, 48, said demand for almond milk lattes had “gone through the roof”.

“At first I thought it was just a fad but demand has just grown and grown and now probably 50 per cent of our customers ask for almond or soy,” he said.

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Owner of Vacation cafe Kael Sahely, 34, tells a similar story with demand for almond milk up 20 per cent and oat milk 15 per cent.

Most customers asked for dairy substitutes because of the perceived health benefits, he said.

The link to an Australian Dairy Farmers petition calling on the Federal Goverrnment to ban use of the work milk in relation to plant-based substitutes can be found here:

farmers.org.au/campaign/reclaimmilk