In the United States, dairy is one of the most important things to buy organic. Conventional dairy may contain antibiotics, bovine growth hormone and other drugs; all things you want to avoid adding to your body unnecessarily! In addition, organic milk likely comes from a smaller farm, which means the animals are more likely to be happy and healthy.
After Grant and I saw Food Inc, we made a commitment to buy organic (and local) products, especially animal products. It’s better for our health, the animals are treated better and it’s better for the environment.
What the movie left us questioning though was, are things different in Canada? The short answer is, no, especially pertaining to beef, pork and chicken.
The Canadian dairy industry does appear to be different from the US.
Canada has strict standards of no antibiotics in milk. Growth hormones such as BST or rBGH are not legal in Canada and are not permitted for use with dairy cows. A milk sample is taken from every farm tank when the milk is picked up. This sample is then taken to a certified lab where it is tested for antibiotics.(source)
The farms are smaller too (which makes sense. If the cows can’t be given antibiotics, they can’t be kept in such close quarters).
Is organic milk better than conventional milk in Canada? Maybe, or maybe not. The line appears much more blurred than in the US.
I’m not rich – how much of a price difference is there?
- 4L of conventional milk = $4.50
- 2L of organic milk = $6
Three times the price is quite the differential, especially when the benefit (to myself, and to the cows) appears blurred.
So I buy conventional dairy in Canada. I only have so much money to spend on groceries, and I would rather spend my money on organic meat, where there seems to be no difference between the US and Canadian standards.
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I haven’t seen it yet, but after reading multiple posts about it, I would really like to. And I am a lover of greek yogurt.
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I miss greek yogurt
Your yogurt does not look as thick as greek yogurt but you could strain it to get similar results. I always ate the Fage brand but now I can’t eat dairy. Trader Joes has a pretty good one too if you have those there.
I haven’t seen it yet. My husband keeps digressing, I don’t think he wants to see it.
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Allison Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
No Trader Joe’s in Canada
It’s thicker than regular yogurt… I think it must be pretty close or the same as greek.
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Greek yogurt is good.
Organic meat is a good pick for your money. Once you’re richer, you can support organic dairy too.
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I just tried Greek yogurt today and I’ll never go back. It was so good, I just started a journey towards whole and organic eating and last night I bought just one container of the Greek yogurt to try and it was so, so, good! I’m glad that I found your blog!
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I haven’t seen it yet and I honestly don’t know if things are the same in Portugal.
I can’t find greek yogurt here! I’ve been trying to find it for some weeks but I haven’t had any luck. Oh well, I shall continue my search…
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I saw Food Inc this past weekend actually. Living in Australia I have waited FOREVER to see if it would come to theaters. however, it didn’t–so I streamed it online.
I don’t eat meat anymore–it’s a choice that I’ve made after watching that movie. If I eat meat, I will ONLY eat it if I know where the cow came from, meaning–organic, grass fed, treated well. I think that the practices of raising animals in America and all of the world for mass production is appalling. I grew up on a farm, around tons of farmers. There were no feed lots. However, there was a major dairy farm about 20 minutes from my house that never EVER let the cows out into the sunlight. So even though Cananda may not have all of the crap that the USA puts into their food, you may still be supporting enclosed living standards.
The thing which hit me most was the helpless state that the farmers were in. I actually wrote about it on my blog. My family are farmers and I totally understand the ‘rock in a hard place’ mentality that they live under. They do mortgage their whole lives to farm at times, because you can’t really survive if you’re working with large corporations on small little farms. You have to have the top-notch stuff, constantly upgrade. The pressure to increase the profit is real and very scary. I think that there is a lot of finger pointing that can go on, and should go on. What it comes down to is the dollar.
I haven’t eaten meat or dairy since I’ve watched the video and i wont frankly. It’s a personal decision that is rooted in the ethical treatment of animals, men, women, farmers, and the earth.
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I am scared to see Food, Inc. I know that film will make me cry. I haven’t had meat in years and stay away from dairy and eggs for the most part but I know that film will bring me to tears. I don’t know if I will be able to sit though it.
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In my Agriculture science class last year we did an assignment on the dairy industry in Canada. What you’ve said so far is right on the button. Canada does not allow any growth hormones in their dairy at all. The farms I’ve seen (here and Ontario) treat the animals as well as any farm can; they have pastures, very open barns, good vaccinations, etc. etc.
Also Canada has a very very strict dairy system. It’s quite self-sustaining, we don’t export much, and we don’t import much, this way milk is always (roughly) the same price. I can’t find the website resources we had last year, but it’s out there. I say you don’t have to worry about going for the organic dairy here in Canada.
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i don’t think food inc specifically changed how i eat, but it definitely makes me think and take more time at the grocery store. i always buy organic dairy. for me, its a non-negotiable!
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I saw the movie and it definitely made me consider my food choices/healthy eating habits to be a bit more political than I ever imagined. One of the biggest things I took away from the movie was the parts about food being a “vote.” When you purchase anything – from cookies to cereal to goat milk – it’s a vote for that product, and you wanting that product to be on the shelf. I feel a little bit more empowered now, each time I buy clean foods, organic products, or shop at the farmer’s market. It’s like I’m voting for the little guy!
I also took away that your diet and habits do not have to perfect. They might not have said this in the film, but in reflecting on it, that’s what I think. Just making little itty bitty steps and changes to make your diet healthier and more humane is a good start. If you buy organic meat and dairy, that’s better than not caring about what you buy at all. If you eat meat 4 days out of 7, it’s better than eating meat every day. The small changes really add up.
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so glad that you finally tried greek yogurt. it has changed my life too, its amazing!
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mmm greek yog is amazing! I have it every single day I am so happy that you tried it
I have not seen food inc but want to! I have seen some pretty crazy videos back in college in my enviornmental nutrition classes regarding organic vs non
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Glad you found the yogurt! I’d like to try making my own Greek Yogurt soon, too
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Yay, you found somethin’ like Greek Yogurt! Isn’t it fab?
I get so frustrated with myself when faced with facts like this – being in college, I am just soo short on money that I can rarely buy organic, unless it’s on super sale (and I’m not into the veggie/vegan lifestyle as of now).
I do buy all natural yogurt all the time (Chobani) & go for organic like Oikos when it’s the same price (which it is right now- woooo) & I don’t drink a ton of milk – but that’s always conventional. I wish I could afford to go organic with dairy (and everything else!) it’s just not financial feasible, unfortunately.
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Yes, greek yogurt is awesome!! And one of my favorite toppings is that Nature’s Path granola…sooo good!
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I love Food Inc. I saw it over the summer. It really made me think twice about what I buy in the grocery store. I definitely visit my local food co-op a lot more now.
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I havn’et seen the movie, but am reading the book right now. I am a lacto-vegetarian but I have days that I highly consider becoming vegan. Once I am through the book I plan on renting the movie as I have heard great things about it.
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I have been searching for sites related to this. Glad I found you. Thanks
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