And the current situation is a shame for many reasons:
These are family businesses, often operated by the same families for generations, and the social damages of putting these people out of business are dramatic.
The farms that make it are the largest, and we all know they are not - generally speaking, there are good guys out there - the ones having the best practices in terms of animal welfare. The cows are often confined, and not grass-fed. More conventional milk, less high-quality milk from cows having a difficult life is the end result.
Large confined cows operations mean less regenerative agriculture practices and an increased negative impact on climate change where regenerative agriculture practices with cows on pasture have a positive impact on the climate.
Honestly, I don't really know how we can stop that trend, as most of these small farms don't have the firepower to invest and innovate as much as they would if they could.
But we need to find something as its impact goes far beyond the farmers and their families.
It happens in Wisconsin, and all over the country. It also happens in many other countries in the world, at least the most developed ones... so the long-term impact on animal welfare and climate change is paramount.
About Pierre-Olivier Carles
De mon parcours fait d’entreprises, d’investissements, de succès et d’erreurs, je tire des pensées personnelles que je partage ici, en français maintenant. Documenter ce voyage peut en inspirer d’autres, mais, à vrai dire, c’est d’abord à moi que cela apporte quelque chose.
