Americans drink much less fluid milk now than decades ago. According to USDA data Americans drank, on average, 146 pounds of fluid milk in 2018. That’s 100 pounds less than in 1975.
And this was before the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced dairy farmers to dump their milk, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Readily available milk alternatives and beverage choices have contributed to decreased milk consumption in the country and has created fierce competition, according to a 2020 Guardian article.
A 2013 USDA article noted: “Every decade brings a wider selection of beverage choices at supermarkets, restaurants, and other food outlets. Soft drinks, sports drinks, bottled water, juice boxes, and other products increasingly compete with fluid milk to quench consumers’ thirst.”
Non-dairy milk products, such as nut milks, coconut milk, soy milk, have also provided alternatives for consumers, according to the USDA.
The decrease of fluid milk consumption has also resulted in numerous bankrupt dairy farms, according to the Guardian.
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