Canada has been wasting more milk than a toddler refusing to use their sippy cup.
Driving the news: A new study estimates that Canadian dairy farms have discarded between 6.8 billion and 10 billion litres of perfectly good milk since 2012, totalling as much as $14.9 billion in lost product that could have fed up to 4.2 million Canadians each year.
- Though it’s hard to know for sure as Canada doesn’t officially track milk waste, the study found it’s likely dumping milk at a higher rate than comparable countries.
Why it matters: The study posits Canada’s unique dairy supply management system is partially to blame and suggests four ways to reduce dumping: ending the legal discarding of good milk, publishing waste data, reviewing production targets, and lowering penalties for underproducing farmers.
- Dairy Farmers of Canada has questioned the findings, pointing to a reliance on estimates rather than hard data and upholding the benefits of supply management.
Bottom line: Even if this study has inaccuracies, the truth remains that food waste is a pervasive issue in Canada, with 58% of all food produced going straight to landfills.—QH