Milk is a commonly consumed food in Low- and Lower-Middle Income Countries (LLMICS). It contains many important nutrients and generally appears, together with its derived products, in national dietary guidelines. But objections have been raised to its promotion on several grounds: health, environmental, animal welfare, and affordability. This Discussion Paper reviews commonly presented arguments in favour of and against consumption of dairy, taking into account the specific contexts of LLMICs.
There is considerable evidence on the impact of dairy on health in LLMIC populations. While lactose intolerance is common in many LLMIC populations and dairy protein allergies can be serious, for most people, dairy products are healthy. There is no justification for considering milk a ‘breastmilk substitute’ beyond the age of 12 months. Using standard measures of emissions intensity, environmental impacts are significant but far less so than for beef production. Animal welfare concerns are different in LLMICs compared to in richer countries, largely due to differences in the intensity of production, but they are still important. Dairy products, like all nutrient-dense foods, are expensive relative to starchy staples.
We recommend that in LLMICs dairy products should be actively promoted within the context of diverse, healthy diets. Appropriate supply-side interventions are needed to minimise animal welfare and environmental concerns and to keep down costs, and consumer education is needed to avoid inappropriate uses, such as feeding to children aged less than 12 months.