The Debate Over Raw Dairy Milk

Enlarge Image Image Gallery The raw milk debate rages on throughout rural America. iStockphoto.com/Peter-John Freeman

One side urges freedom of choice. The other side argues that health is the top concern. And the debate over raw milk continues.

Nearly 300 people from around the world recently attended the Second Annual International Raw Milk Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin. The event was organized by the Farm to Consumer Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on increasing education about food issues. The foundation is the primary source of income for the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, which states as its mission, “Defending the rights and broadening the freedoms of family farms, and protecting consumer access to raw milk and nutrient dense foods.”

The first symposium was held in Toronto to facilitate an international discussion regarding raw milk. In the year that followed, a flurry of activity occurred for both producers and consumers, including a victory by Canadian raw milk producer Michael Schmidt after a long and costly court battle, as well as a coordinated crackdown on raw milk producers in Wisconsin.

Raw milk advocates say the main issue concerning the product is freedom of choice. They cite claims that raw milk has helped people with health concerns such as asthma and immune issues, and that pasteurizing milk not only destroys harmful bacteria, it destroys good enzymes and proteins in the milk. Many supporters line up on the side of people knowing where their food comes from, and they advocate that consumers meet the dairy farmer and inspect a local farm’s facilities on a regular basis.