Survey reveals what consumers want from milk

April 2015

Survey reveals what consumers want from milk: A poll by YouGov has found that 87 per cent of consumers would like to purchase free range milk, which has come from a cow grazed on pasture, meaning that farmers would get a fair price for the milk they produce.

The findings showed that 56 per cent of consumers would buy free range milk even if it was more expensive.

Of the respondents, 72 per cent expressed their concern for cows that are permanently kept indoors, with 86 per cent of the UK adults surveyed saying that they think cows should be able to graze in outdoor fields, and believe that cows should not be housed indoors.

The survey also a highlighted the importance of ethical consumerism amongst consumers in the UK, with transparent welfare labelling on eggs and meats being indicated as something that shoppers want.

A separate piece of research from 2014 showed that the number of dairy farmers who graze their cows in fields has plummeted, with just 30 per cent of farms using the traditional grazing routine of cows being grazed in fields during summer.

In some countries, the number of intensive indoor dairy farms increased. For example, the percentage of cows grazed outside fell from 85 per cent in 2001 to 35 per cent in 2010.

Suzi Morris, UK Director for World Animal Protection said of the issue: “Retailers are always reassuring us that they only sell what consumers want to buy, and as regards their milk, consumers have sent a resounding message. World Animal Protection has shown that the UK public want to know where their milk has come from and how it is has been produced. We should all be able to choose milk from cows that are free to graze on pasture for the majority of the year.”

“In the future, an ever increasing number of the UK’s cows could be permanently confined inside sheds, pushed to their physical limits and facing a life that means never grazing on grass. There is currently no clear labelling to tell if your milk has come from cows in intensive indoor dairy farms or from cows that have grazed on pasture. We are now calling on those who supply our milk to give the consumers what they want on their cornflakes: Full Fact Milk.”