Oat, almond, soy, rice, coconut, and many more alternative milks have replaced the dairy consumption of Generation Z. Gen Z is a much more healthconscious, animal welfare-concerned, and environmentally mindful wave of consumers who live their lives with purpose. We are a generation of consumers who want to preserve the planet – recognizing the impact of our choices. Currently, society is changing in such a way that drinking cow's milk is not the main question, but rather – which alternative milk option will I have today? We are aware of what we put into our bodies and how it affects the environments around us. Subsequently, the rise of alternative milk is dismantling the established, worldwide dairy industry.
by eden burkow Could the rise of the alternative milk take down the reign of the dairy empire?
Today, the global market for dairy alternatives is becoming increasingly larger, and in turn, becoming a billion-dollar industry. In Spring 2018, there was an Oat Milk drought. Oatly, the Swedish company that invented the premier beverage “couldn’t keep up with demand” as they supplied all of New York and the rest of the US’s oat milk (Hitchens). Oatly’s rapid rise after first launching in 2016, became the hottest commodity of 2018. Millennials and Generation Z alike have become more assertive in their decisionmaking process, and have chosen to stay away from the consumption of dairy. According to the Dairy Farmers of Americas’ (DFA) 2018 Financial Report, the dairy industry is experiencing a significant decrease in sales. Between the years 2017 and 2018, there was a drop-in roughly $1.1 billion dollars in sales; this decline in dairy purchases is most likely due to the powerful rise of alternative milks, and the popularity they have gained over the past decade. Today’s wave of consumers are changing the landscape of the dairy industry. Our choices are dictating the marketplace, and plant-based alternative milk options now dominate both grocer and coffee shops, especially across the United States.
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