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Dairy Farmer Says "We Can Learn A Lot From Vegans"

by Alix Coe | February 21, 2020

Organic dairy farmer David Finlay has shared that his industry “can learn a lot from vegans” in response to Joaquin Phoenix’s recent Oscars speech.

“As a dairy farmer I actually agree with Joaquin Phoenix’s comments that people have become disconnected from the natural world,” said Finlay.

“Strike a balance”

“But his call to switch to completely plant-based has environmental and nutritional consequences, so I believe we have to strike a balance.”

“As interest in veganism surges it’s easy for livestock farmers like me to get defensive…There are no simple solutions to sustainably feeding our population in a climate conscious way, which is why sharing ideas, points of view and experiences is so important.”

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Joaquin Phoenix Slams Dairy Industry

In his recent Oscars speech, Phoenix told the audience that “we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world.”

“Many of us are guilty of an egocentric world view, and we believe that we’re the center of the universe. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources,” he continued.

“We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.”

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Working With Vegans

Finlay launched The Ethical Dairy to create a system of dairy farming where calves are allowed to stay with their mothers for the first five to six months of life.

During this time, the mothers are only milked once a week and the calves may continue to suckle.

The farmer has also opened up his farm for vegans to visit and observe his methods.

“Share our experience”

“When we – a dairy farm – announced a tour we are organising specifically for vegans, it raised a few eyebrows, but it shouldn’t,” said Finlay.

“We have many regular customers who are themselves following plant-based diets but buy dairy produce for their children or partner,” added the farmer.

“The idea behind these events is basically to share our experience, explain why we do things the way we do and, where possible, to share our skills.”

What do you think of The Ethical Dairy concept? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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