Media release published at August 15, 2017

Local campaigners ask the people of [insert your town] to ditch dairy

Cartoon calf

[Please adapt to suit what you are doing. Contact Siobhan on 0117 944 1000 or email siobhan@viva.org.uk if you need further assistance]

Date: [insert]

Time: [insert]

Location: [insert]


Local campaigners are asking people in [insert location] to dump dairy as part of animal welfare organisation Viva!’s week of action Scary Dairy Week of Action (21-28 August) and World Plant Milk Day (22 August). The Dairy Week of Action is the brainchild of animal welfare groups Viva!, Animal Aid, Vegnuary and ProVeg which encourages the public to consider the suffering caused by the dairy industry and promote compassionate alternatives.

During this week of action campaigners in [insert location] and across the country will be distributing free literature to the public highlighting the plight of dairy cows and the health implications surrounding dairy consumption and dairy-free recipes. [delete as appropriate] Campaigners will be giving away free samples of delicious dairy-free ice cream, although supplies are limited so please arrive early to avoid disappointment!

Dairy consumption is down

A recent report published by Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in 2016 states milk production in the UK has reduced by 87 million litres and overall dairy consumption is down by 490 million tonnes[1].

In recent years global sales of plant-based milk and dairy-free cultured products such as yogurt, frozen desserts and ice-cream, creamers and cheese have grown exponentially.

Whether its because of an allergy or a lifestyle choice, people are ditching dairy. [Insert your name, and group here] explores the reasoning behind this shift in consumer choice:

“The public are beginning to open their eyes to reality of the dairy industry. We don’t need to consume cow’s milk for strong bones and it is not beneficial to our health! The dairy industry subjects dairy cows and their calves to a life of misery. Standard practice is removing baby calves from their mothers and male calves being routinely shot shortly after birth.

We are reaching out to the public during this Week of Action to show them how easy, healthy and delicious dairy-free can be!”

Going dairy-free is one of the most natural changes to your diet. Why? Simply because drinking milk past infancy is not what nature intended. We’re the only species in the world to do so and what’s more, we consume milk of a different animal!

Whilst consuming milk and dairy products is common in some countries, not everyone is able to stomach it. Most people lose the ability to digest the milk sugar lactose after weaning – about two thirds of the world’s adults are lactose intolerant. The message is clear: we are meant to consume breast milk only in infancy and then stop.

There’s so much research on the consequences of consuming milk and dairy products on human health, you have only to scratch the surface to learn the truth. Viva! have produced a comprehensive and fully-referenced report White Lies which includes details about milk and health.

For information about all aspects of dairy consumption and production, in an easy-to-read format, see the brilliant all-rounder – Why You Don’t Need Dairy guide.

For more information visit www.whitelies.org.uk or call Viva! on 0117 944 1000.

ENDS information:

For more information about this media release, contact [insert your name, telephone and email].

  1.  https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/629226/AUK-2016-17jul17.pdf
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