Plant milk set to roar in 2020 as thousands of Aussies kick off the new year by ditching dairy

Media Release

December 30, 2019

Australian dairy milk production has decreased by 20% since the 2000s, while the plant milk category grew by 82% last year. And with Veganuary taking place once again throughout the month of January, no doubt the demand for dairy alternatives will reach new levels with over 350,000 people expected to switch to a plant-based diet at the beginning of 2020 for a healthier (and kinder start) to the new year.

“Australians are becoming more aware of the health and sustainable benefits of eating plant-based foods and more than ever we’re seeing this reflected in the plant milk category,” says Gemma Goorjian, Marketing Manager for Califia Farms Australia.

“Recent documentaries such as The Game Changers have also contributed to the popularity of dairy-free milks such as almond and oat, and with Veganuary kicking off the new year we’re expecting 2020 to be a big one for plant milks in general,” she adds.

Plant-based diet facts and figures

• The main reason people take part in Veganuaryis for their health (46%), with other motivations being animal wellbeing (34%) and the environment (12%).
• More than 350,000 are anticipated to sign up for Veganuary in 2020.
• Starting in the UK in 2014, 178 countries around the world now participate in Veganuary.
• Some experts believe a plant-based diet can help you live an extra ten years.
• Australia had the fifth most participants in Veganuary in 2019, with Melbourne coming 13^thon the top city list.
• 47% of people who took part in Veganuary said they were committed to maintaining a plant-based diet.
• In 2019 over 200 new products and menus were launched just for Veganuary.
• Australian dairy milk production has decreased by 20% since the 2000s, while the plant milk category grewby 82% last year.
• Many plant milks contain more calcium, less sugar, no IGF-1 hormones, less calories and are easier to digest than dairy milk.
• 1 in 6 Australians are now going dairy free.
• Only one third of people produce the lactase enzyme which enables them to digest milk during adulthood.
• One glass of Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk uses over 40 percent less water to produce than the average dairy milk in the US (2018 study by Califia Farms and Universities of California at Davis and Santa Barbara).
• A 2018 Oxford study found that plant-based milks, including oat and almond, require over 90 percent less land than dairy milk.
• Adopting a plant-based diet is the single best way a person can help to reverse climate change.
• In 2018 Australia ranked number one in the world for searching the word ‘vegan.’

The Califia Farms plant milk range in Australia

All of Califia Farms plant milks and flavoured beverages are committed to low sugar with the Cold Brew Coffee drinks having 70 percent less sugar than other iced coffees on the shelf. Their new Oat Barista Blend also has half the amount of sugar of competing brands.

Source: Copy Pop.