OAT is the GOAT

OAT is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)

Could the rise of the alternative milk industry take down the reign of the dairy empire?

By Eden Burkow

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.

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.

The drought that oat milk enthusiasts experienced in 2018 is not just because they are hooked on the taste of the beverage – there is a mindset linked to their oat milk desires. According to Oatly’s Sustainability Report in 2017, the production of oat milk results in 80% lower greenhouse gas emissions, and 60% less energy compared to the production of cow’s milk. Also, the physical space of producing oat milk is 80% less land than dairy milk. We have turned drinking alternative milks into a social movement, as we become more in tune with our carbon footprint. Millennials and Generation Z value products because of the lifestyles they promise us. Oat milk is viewed as “more than a dairy alternative,” Millennials and Generation Z are referring to oat milk, and the alternative dairy industry as a “lifestyle” (Tingley). There is a major mental lifestyle shift for wanting to consume plant-based milk. This shift isn’t about cows milk, it’s about our culture offering many alternatives that have a variety of benefits because we are demanding to change the dairy industry that is seen as normal in society. It’s a fundamental shift towards becoming more environmentally aware, health-conscious, and innovative consumers and participants in society. We choose to have a variety of alternatives because we are actively pushing back against the normal conventions and going against the dairy industry model. This proves that oat milk has a more sustainable, environmentally conscious impact on the planet, and oat milk lovers are about making positive decisions for the world.

According to The Green, Blue, and Grey Water Footprint of Crops and Derived Crop Products, plant-based milk uses less water than dairy milks. And oats are the leader as they use the least amount of water than all other plants/seeds/grains turned into milk (Hoekstra). Consuming and purchasing oat milk means having a strong awareness of water usage and how that damages the planet. My generation has become more environmentally aware that their decisions dictate the course of milk production in the upcoming years. By making choices that are more in line with positively impacting the planet, we have changed the dialogue surrounding alternative milk production. This new culture we have created is focused on betting our world so it can live with us and the generations that come after us.

Today’s consumers are choosing alternative milk because they are cognizant of the impact the dairy industry has had on the planet. The large quantity of alternative milk beverages now offered is a positive reflection of our demand for a sustainable effort in milk production. Initially, alternative milks were produced simply as a way to help those that were lactose intolerant, those who were health-conscious, did not enjoy the taste of milk, or wanted to be more aware of their carbon footprint. The transition to consume alternative milks has become the norm. Our efforts now to choose to consume alternative milks, and get everyone on the same page, is because we are so aware of our impact on the planet, that we understand that the gravity of our decisions, specifically our food choices, and how they can negatively affect our bodies and our environment, alike.