Farmers to promote dairy benefits amid vegan week of anti-dairy activism

The NFU said they are proud of the hard work and high standards of British dairy farmers
The NFU said they are proud of the hard work and high standards of British dairy farmers

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) dairy team has created a ‘Proud of Dairy’ campaign to promote the health benefits of dairy and the high-standards of animal welfare amid planned anti-dairy activism.

The vegan activism is planned to start next week (21-27 August), and has been branded the 'Dairy Week of Action'.

The week coincides with World Plant Milk Day on 22 August.

The NFU said they are proud of the hard work and high standards of British dairy farmers.

A statement by NFU Dairy said: "Not only do they produce a wholesome, nutritious product but they do so to very high standards.

"In the UK 95% of dairy farmers are Red Tractor assured which ensures high standards of animal welfare, milk quality, environmental care and traceability.

"British dairy farmers are rightly proud to rear their animals to the some of the highest welfare standards in the world and do their utmost to ensure that the public is supplied with quality milk every day of the year.

"Frustratingly, inaccurate and misleading negative media is becoming increasingly common with ill-informed anti-dairy rhetoric harmfully targeting both the industry as whole and individual farmers.

"Promoting positive messages and stories about the sector is therefore vital to ensure the 98% of consumers in the UK who drink milk fully understand the industry producing their food and the conscientious work of our dairy farmers."

#ProudofDairy

The NFU is urging farmers to use the hashtag #proudofdairy on social media, and to fight misleading negative dairy campaigning.

The Go Vegan World adverts, which have featured in the Sunday Telegraph and across the UK on billboards, have angered many farmers.

One advert displays a picture of a cow and its young, displaying the headline 'dairy takes babies from their mothers', it says "humane milk is a myth".

Dairy farmers have said they have 'suffered a blow' after the Advertising Standards Agency approved the vegan campaign.

NFU dairy board chairman Mr Oakes told The Times: "Our members, who are constantly looking to improve welfare standards, found it upsetting and demoralising.

"Animal welfare standards in the UK’s dairy industry are the highest possible.

"I am a dairy farmer and what I do all day is look after animals who in turn look after me. Their wellbeing is my priority."