The food system, including dairy production, has many impacts on the environment (including on biodiversity, soils, waterways and climate change). While dairy farming does impact the environment, dairy foods provide essential nutrients and health benefits that are hard to replicate. Like any food choice, it's important to balance nutrition and sustainability, and the Australian dairy industry is working to reduce its environmental footprint.

The concept of sustainable diet is not straightforward, as there are many contributing factors including nutrition requirements, how food is grown, transported, sold, processed, consumed and the waste disposed of. 

Dairy foods are naturally nutrient-dense offering a large range of essential nutrients and evidence-based health benefits.  

Some people opt to cut out dairy or choose plant-based diets in an effort to reduce their environmental impact. However, it’s important to remember that any diet comes with an environmental footprint. In fact, Australians tend to eat too much junk food and not enough whole foods from the five recommended food groups, including dairy. By shifting towards whole foods as recommended by the Australian Dietary Guidelines, research shows we could improve both our health and the planet's wellbeing. This includes eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein-rich foods like milk, cheese, and yoghurt. 

It’s true that you can meet essential nutrient needs without dairy, but doing so requires careful planning. Dairy-free diets, if not balanced properly, could be lacking in key nutrients like calcium, iron, vitamins A and B12, and fatty acids. And more research is still needed to fully understand the environmental impact and health effects of replacing these nutrients with other foods or supplements. 

Like any agricultural industry that uses natural resources, dairy farming does impact the environment. The Australian dairy industry is committed to continually improving our environmental impact while providing nutritious food for a healthier world, which is reflected in the Australian Dairy Industry Sustainability Framework and goals. Find out more In the Industry and Sustainability section of the website. 

We recognise the critical importance of a sustainable food system, and we are undertaking research to support continuous improvement and set new goals to help our government meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.