For plant milk manufacturers, business is booming. In 2021, 32% of British people surveyed drank plant-based milk as part of their diet, compared to 25% in 2020. How are these milks made, and how do they compare to cow’s milk when it comes to their environmental impact and nutritional value? This graphic takes a look.
The graphic in this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. See the site’s content usage guidelines.
References/further reading
- How well do plant based alternatives fare nutritionally compared to cow’s milk? – S K Vanga and V Raghavan, Journal of Food Science and Technology
- Guidelines suggesting children avoid plant‑based milks: A closer examination – N S Wright & M Smith, Maternal & Child Health Journal
- Moo-ove over, cow’s milk: The rise of plant-based dairy alternatives – M Bridges, Nutrition Issues in Gastroenterology
- Plant-based milks: The dental perspective – L Sumner & L Burbridge, British Dental Journal Team
- Which milk has the smallest impact on the planet? – D Haake, Datawrapper
- Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers – J Poore & T Nemecek, Science
- Milk and almonds image source, shared under a Creative Commons BY licence