Poll shows that shoppers are ready to boycott milk from super-dairies
SIXTY-FIVE per cent of people wouldn't drink milk from super-dairies like the one proposed for Nocton, a poll has found.
The MORI poll conducted on behalf of pressure group World Society For The Protection Of Animals (WSPA) found 65 per cent of people in the East Midlands would not buy milk if they knew it was produced in large-scale indoor sheds.
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A protest banner on the B1188 heading into Lincoln objecting to plans for a super-dairy.
A planning application is to be resubmitted for a 8,100-cow super-dairy at Nocton, near Lincoln, despite protests from animal welfare groups.
Today a "herd" of humans dressed in prison jumpsuits will protest against the plans outside Defra's London headquarters, to launch WSPA's campaign against super-diaries.
Nocton Dairies Ltd is to re-submit a planning application to North Kesteven District Council this month to set up the country's first round-the-clock milking facility.
And WSPA says it is hoping consumers will back its campaign, which will then impact on supermarkets which, it hopes, will refuse to buy milk from super-dairies.
Katharine Mansell, spokeswoman for WSPA, said: "If the Nocton dairy is built and the milk gets in the system, then people won't know what they are drinking.
"The dairies will listen to the supermarkets, as they are the people with the money.
"And if consumers don't want to drink it and supermarkets don't want to stock it, we hope it will be enough of a message to the dairy industry that it needs to find another way to support its farms."
Dunston resident Ian Glaister is a member of the Campaign Against Factory Farming and is the Lincolnshire representative at the protest in the capital today.
He said: "The Nocton dairy is a local issue, but there are national implications. We are delighted WSPA has taken up the case."
Devon dairy farmer Peter Willes established Nocton Dairies Ltd with two other farmers in a bid to set up a super-dairy.
Mr Willes said he was not surprised by WSPA's actions.
He said: "They have got an idea of what we are doing, with no understanding of cow welfare.
"It's rather strange they are commenting on our application.
"They don't know how we're going to look after the cows because they haven't spoken to us."
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by John, Lincoln
Friday, September 03 2010, 2:06PM
“That's why the FSA routinely test for antibiotics in milk. The Daily Mail put that scare story out in 2006, and it was no truer then than it is now with more stringent testing.”
by Elise Mckenna, Nocton
Thursday, September 02 2010, 9:12AM
“and no one has mentioned the `human cost' of intensive farm either....milk bourne from intentsive factory farms is poor quality and full of antibiotics fed to the cow. human resistance to antibiotics is already causing major concern. Pollution into the ground water from milk `disposed of or accidentially leaked into' also ends up in water consumed by humans..human lives are very much at risk as well as the factory farmed cows.”
by Gnome Chomsky, On the Farm
Wednesday, September 01 2010, 10:39PM
“We buy what we eat, we eat what we buy. We have loads of options to buy local food, often at lower than supermarket prices. We don't.
We go to Tesco, Asda, Morrison's, because we believe it is cheap. We know our supermarket and buy from it, because it is quicker and easier than shopping around. We get what we pay for.
All these people who will not buy milk from UK superdairies will probably buy milk from French superdairies, sold by UK supermarkets.”
by John, Lincoln
Wednesday, September 01 2010, 4:08PM
“But people complain about intensive farming methods that harm wildlife.”
by Troy, Doddington Park
Wednesday, September 01 2010, 3:48PM
“I'm not talking let's go all organic, making your own is not that expensive. I'm more concerned with meat products and dairy. As an ex butcher I love my meat and would go for a better quality cut all the time but buy less. Of course some food is less expensive and of course you can't grow certain types of food in the UK, they have to be imported. My point was it is less expensive to buy less steak or quality sausages and have bread with a meal. There is no way bread is more expensive than meat. I can't be the only person who thinks like this??
Obviously if people can afford to eat the best quality then good on them, but I refuse to believe that a person has to eat lower quality imported food stuff because it is less expensive. Rubbish.”
by John, Lincoln
Wednesday, September 01 2010, 2:27PM
“Organic bread not intensively farmed isn't cheap though Troy...”
by Troy, Doddington Park
Wednesday, September 01 2010, 1:44PM
“I know exactly what you are saying Steve with regards to buying the cheapest. Most people are a bit worse off financially lately. What I can remember as a child was having less on the plate with lots of bread to mop it up. I'm not rich by any means but if it means buying a smaller steak or 2 eggs instead of three I'll do that and bulk it out with a bit of bread. That's what most northern families did years ago.”
by John, Lincoln
Wednesday, September 01 2010, 1:37PM
“Interesting that the figure for Great Britain was only 61%.
To back your point Emma, from MORI's own website they present statistics in a certain way. Saying 3 in 5 wouldn't buy mass produced milk is fine. But to then change to "many who purchase milk at least once a week said they associate milk with the vision of cows grazing in a field (48%)" rather than less than half show slight bias as it is clearly less than half. The rest of it reads, if you have a negative view, like a company endorsing the WSPA's view with nicely spun on cherry picked stats.”
by Emma, Lincoln
Wednesday, September 01 2010, 12:23PM
“A MORI poll produces results congruous to the agenda of the organisation paying for it. How unusual.”
by John, Lincoln
Wednesday, September 01 2010, 11:54AM
“I know an Indian run by an Engishman, not sure you have to be Indian to own one. My Italian is owned by a Japanese man.
Fair point on food slaughtered in this way but it is often clearly labelled as such. Your point is not racist at all, just off topic.”