Plant-based milk alternatives have a significantly smaller impact on the environment than dairy products, using less water, less land, and producing fewer carbon dioxide emissions for the same product yield. To put this into perspective, traditional dairy farming is one of the leading contributors to environmental degradation. It requires vast amounts of water—not only for the animals themselves but also for growing their feed crops. For example, producing one liter of cow's milk can require between 600 to 1,000 liters of water, whereas plant-based milks such as almond, oat, or soy typically need far less water, often between 50 to 200 liters per liter of milk produced.

In terms of land use, dairy farming occupies extensive pasture and feed crop acreage, contributing to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation. Plant-based milk production generally needs less land per liter due to the efficient yields of crops used for these milks, such as oats and soybeans. This reduction in land demand helps limit pressures on ecosystems and natural habitats.

Regarding greenhouse gas emissions, dairy cows produce methane—a potent greenhouse gas—through enteric fermentation. This alone makes dairy farming a significant source of methane emissions. In contrast, plant-based milks avoid these emissions entirely. Life cycle analyses show that the carbon footprint of plant-based milks can be up to 80% lower than that of cow’s milk.

Considering butter, which is composed primarily of milk fat, the environmental impact intensifies. Whole milk contains about 3% fat by weight, meaning that producing one pound (approximately 454 grams) of butter requires roughly 12 liters of whole milk. This multiplication amplifies the resource use and emissions associated with dairy farming to create a concentrated fat product. Therefore, even when consuming dairy products in forms perceived as smaller quantities—like butter—the underlying environmental cost remains substantial.

Choosing plant-based milk alternatives contributes to mitigating water scarcity, reducing land degradation, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with sustainable gastronomy principles and a more responsible consumption paradigm.