Two of the largest dairy cooperatives have been playing with farmers by pursuing a high price for milk when both should have taken into account fluctuations in the global dairy markets.
Australian and New Zealand dairy farmers need to get used to the low prices for milk as they represent the new norm in global markets.
Dan Peled/AAP
Cooperatives like Murray Goulburn and Fonterra and dairy farmers need to accept that lower milk prices will be the new normal in a more competitive global market.
The main thrust of the advisory committee’s report is that diets should be focused on whole foods, not specific nutrients.
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr
National dietary guidelines have become an easy target for those looking for a scapegoat for bad diets in rich countries. And a BMJ article about draft US guidelines adds further fuel for the fire.
The dairy sector in the UK is going through a period of high uncertainty. Not only are suppliers having to cope with retail price wars and the fact that milk prices are being reduced by the increasing…
There is no evidence that the health benefits of milk are compromised by pasteurisation.
jacqueline/Flickr
Milk is a highly nutritious food, and an important source of amino acids and minerals such as phosphorus and calcium, which contributes to bone health. Historically, milk was prone to contamination by…
Consuming bath milk is particularly risky because it may contain the deadly STEC E.Coli bug.
Olga Prokopova/Shutterstock
The death this week of a Victorian toddler after allegedly drinking “bath milk” is a reminder of how dangerous some natural cosmetics can be. The product – Mountain View Organic Dairy’s Organic Bath Milk…
China’s market for milk is huge, but not without its challenges.
Mark & Andrea Busse/Flickr
The clock is ticking down to the end of year deadline Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has given for sign off on a free trade agreement with China. In this China-Australia FTA series we explore what…
Right idea, wrong execution: the Ord River irrigation scheme needed better surrounding infrastructure.
isthatdave/Wikimedia Commons
It’s perhaps fitting that mining magnate Andrew Forrest is in the vanguard of a move to position Australia as a major food supplier to China. Fitting, because if the plan is to work, Australian agriculture…
Your mum was right: it’s good for you to eat your veggies. Yet a recent survey found one in four Australians ate none in a typical day.
shashinjutsu/Flickr
The way we currently produce food around the world contributes up to 20-30% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and accounts for 70% of all human water use. But is it possible to eat well and take…
The battle for Warrnambool Cheese and Butter is a vote of confidence in the Australian dairy industry.
Johnsyweb/Flickr
The share price of Victorian dairy processor Warrnambool Cheese and Butter (WCB) has more than doubled over recent weeks in response to a takeover tussle between Australian publicly listed company Bega…
Soil makes pasture, pasture makes milk, milk makes cheese.
lu_lu/Flickr
Australia has some of the world’s most ancient soils, many of which grow delicious produce. In this series, “The good earth”, soil scientist Robert Edis profiles some of those soils and the flavours they…
Fresh, raw soy milk and fresh, raw animal milk are very different foods.
Timothy Valentine
There are good reasons why people may want to swap soy with dairy milk. The carbon, water and phosphate footprint of soy milk is a fraction of the latter. But the main reason for the increasing popularity…
Unless you’re allergic to cow’s milk, dairy products are unlikely to cause or exacerbate asthma.
Image from shutterstock.com
Dairy products are good for the bones, so we’re encouraged to have regular serves of (reduced-fat) milk cheese and yogurt. But can they make asthma and allergies worse? Asthma is a respiratory condition…
Soy might seem simply better, but what do the figures say?
mc5556/Flickr
Are soy milk’s environmental attributes based on substance or froth? Is soy a sustainable solution in the dairy debate? Comparative environmental analysis of different food groups is like comparing, well…