What is dairy? The dictionary would say that dairy is “milk, or products made from or containing milk; as butter or cheese.”

But what is dairy, really?

Many people assume that cows always produce milk, as if it just happens by itself. What people don’t think about is the fact that milk doesn’t come from cows, per se. Milk comes from mothers. Like humans and other mammals, cows produce milk to nourish their babies. So obviously a pregnancy and birth must occur first.

In industrialized dairy, a cow is forcibly impregnated via artificial insemination, then after a 9 month pregnancy, she gives birth to her beautiful calf. Now, here’s the part that most consumers are blissfully unaware of. Usually within 24 hours of the birth, her calf is forcibly taken away, and the beautiful mother-baby bond is shattered. The mother cow cries out for her calf for days, sometimes even weeks. Sadly, she will never be able to nurse her baby, or take care of him. This separation is also stressful and confusing for the calf, who just wants to be with his momma, but he is denied his mother’s milk, warmth, protection and love.

If the calf is male, he is either sold to become veal (which means a short life of confinement and cruel immobility) or sold and raised for beef. If the calf is a female, she is destined to become a milking machine, like her mother. In some countries, the demand for calf leather is high, so sometimes calves are sold and killed at a very young age, to profit from their extra soft skin.

After the emotional distress of losing her baby, the next phase brings physical distress. She is not treated with the respect and dignity she deserves, as a creation of God, but instead treated like a milk-production object. Usually standing on a concrete floor, the lactating cow is milked by a machine. Due to greed, many modern-day cows are selectively bred to produce an unnatural amount of milk, which puts a strain on their bodies and the excessive milking sometimes leads to udder inflammation or mastitis. That means small amounts of pus can end up in milk, and a certain amount is actually legal. The milk is sold to humans and this entire process is repeated over and over, every year. More forced pregnancies, only to have the babies taken away each time, more emotional and physical suffering.

As the years go by and the “spent” cow can no longer produce milk, she is thanked for her “services” by being slaughtered, usually to become cheap hamburger meat.

Motherhood is a special, beautiful thing, created by God. We have taken something that is natural, beautiful, almost sacred, and exploited it in such a selfish, cruel way. The misery and suffering we inflict on farm animals daily is a disgrace, and here’s the worst part… It is absolutely unnecessary! We don’t have to drink cow’s milk to get calcium or other nutrients. In fact, high consumption of dairy has been linked to certain types of cancer, as well as other health problems.

Do you think God is pleased with the exploitation of motherhood, whether it’s for profit, greed, or just tradition? I say no. I believe that God hears the cries of those heartbroken cows who have their babies taken away, because the God I know is a God of love, mercy and justice.

So what is dairy, really? Dairy is the exploitation of something beautiful. It is the cruel and violent exploitation of motherhood. As Michael Schwarz puts it: “The most powerful bond we know of is the bond between mother and child, and we break it in order to make comfort foods for ourselves.”

If you are a dairy consumer, please think about the cruel process behind dairy products. Please know that there are so many plant-based milk alternatives that are not only delicious but healthy, and most importantly, cruelty-free. Please choose to no longer participate in the cruel, vicious cycle of dairy.

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