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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Nina Lakhani climate justice reporter

US dairy policies drive small farms to ‘get big or get out’ as monopolies get rich

A family-run dairy farm in Westby, Wisconsin.
A family-run dairy farm in Westby, Wisconsin. The average American dairy turned a profit only twice in the past two decades. Photograph: Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images

Two decades of misguided US dairy policies centered around boosting milk production and export markets have hurt family-scale farms and the environment while enriching agribusinesses and corporate lobbyists, new research has found.

The average American dairy turned a profit only twice in the past two decades despite milk production rising by almost 40%, according to analysis by Food and Water Watch (FWW) shared exclusively with the Guardian.

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