The USDA needs to stop pushing milk on our children

***I did not intend to write a soapbox rant for Blog Action Day, but that in fact is what this is. You know I don't usually rant, nor do I consider myself much of an activist. But now I just know too much, and I don't think we should take it anymore.***

Did you know that if your child gets hot lunch at school they are often required to take a carton of milk even if they don't want to drink it? Unless your child brings in a doctor's note stating they are lactose-intolerant or allergic, many school districts instruct their staff to tell children they must take a carton of milk, which the child then throws away unopened. (And nope, it can't go back into the cooler because the quality is compromised.) This happens at my kids' school, and I was made aware of it by a friend whose family eats a vegan diet. It all goes back to the USDA, an agency that firmly believes dairy is mandatory for a healthy diet (a claim I am just now beginning to question). In fact, the USDA reimburses schools for every serving of milk they pass out to students, which is why the schools push it.

Did you know that 30-50 million Americans (adults and children) are lactose intolerant? (That's 1 in 6 Americans.) How about this: 70% of African Americans, 80% of Hispanics, 95% of Asians and 100% of Native Americans are lactose intolerant. So why is there such a big push by the USDA to force kids to take milk? Could it be because the USDA subsidizes big agriculture?

We all know that the American food system is totally messed up. The government subsidizes all of these pesticide-ridden, genetically-modified, hormone-filled monster farms in an effort to provide cheap (and often unhealthy) food to the American people. Then they create a food pyramid, which tells people how they should be eating. (The 'Milk' slice of the pyramid is the same size as the 'Vegetable' slice, by the way.)

All of these big cattle farms, both for meat and dairy production, are taking a huge toll on the environment. I mentioned those startling statistics when we launched the Meatless Supper Club: industrial livestock production causes more greenhouse gases than cars. All of the environmental problems caused by livestock are spelled out in this excellent article from E Magazine. The methane production, the cutting down of the rainforest for grazing land, the heavy fertilizer, pesticide and water use for growing cattle feed -- the list goes on and on.

Having said all of that, I've been buying 1-2 gallons of organic milk each week for my family for years, because I've always thought it was essential for good health. I've got one milkaholic child, and I do love a glass of cold milk once a day. But I'm ready to cut back on this, much in the same vein of serving more vegetarian meals to my family. A cow is a cow. I've talked to my kids about why we're eating less meat, and I will talk to them about why we are drinking less milk. We can get our calcium needs met through many other foods. Milk is not required, and it should not be forced on children who can't drink it or don't want it.