This is a clear warning to the animal advocacy movement: even in lactose intolerant countries, a thriving dairy industry can quickly take root by targeting children. We need to be alert to these global patterns and the possibility of rapid change. But it may also hint at a solution: if parents buy far more dairy for their children when it is cheap, perhaps even small price increases could rapidly reduce demand for dairy. 

Animal advocates are increasingly talking about meat consumption in low and middle income countries such as China, where increasing economic development is fuelling rising demand for animal products.

Organisations such as  The Good Growth Co and Tiny Beam Fund argue that animal advocates should be focussing more of their efforts on these countries. The logic goes that slowing/preventing rising demand for meat in these LMICs could be more tractable than reducing meat consumption in richer countries with strong traditions of regular meat eating. As well as this, these countries are relatively neglected by existing animal advocacy efforts, and the scale of the problem – with the combined population of China and India nearing 3 billion – is huge. When it comes to high meat diets, prevention (in LMICs) may be easier than cure (in the developed world).

This research informs that discussion, because it suggests that while many low and middle income countries consume little dairy, this situation could change rapidly. Advocates should remain vigilant for attempts to kickstart industrial dairy farming in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia, and have response plans in place.

Going through changes: A longitudinal study of meat reduction over time in the UK: C Bryant, E Ross, C Flores

Going veggie: identifying and overcoming the social and psychological barriers to veganism: C Bryant, A Prosser, J Barnett; Appetite