Title: A case study on the effects of the non-dairy milk industry

By Stephanie Sorosiak

The evolution of, and popularity within, marketed nondairy beverages in place of dairy products has proven to be a growing interest in discovering the next best option for every day use. Essentially all of these “milks” are the same — nuts, seeds, or grains blended with water to mimic a creamy, thickened liquid. But the interest is driven by an ongoing search for nondairy elitism. Which option is the most creamy and best for coffee? Which one tastes the best in cereal? Which one is the most identical in baking? Which one is the most sustainably produced?
The relationships within this field fall between consumer and producer, and then further nuanced between each respective category. Within the consumer relationship, there are those who purchase nondairy milk for trendiness, those who purchase for dietary reasons, and those who purchase for activism (such as veganism). These relationships may exhibit a space of positions, meaning someone with a dairy intolerance may also purchase almond milk because they care about animal abuse in the dairy industry. Or perhaps someone who saw a new brand of hemp milk advertised at Whole Foods also wants to limit their dairy intake for health reasons. While the space of positions becomes incredibly complex, it ultimately defines the consumerist relationship within this field. Companies who distribute these alternatives choose which stores to sell at. The affluence of different stores predict which types of nondairy beverages you’ll see on the shelf. The prestige of nondairy milk companies drive advertising and overall appeal to buy certain types of nondairy beverages even though they are all essentially the same. Within all of these relationships to the field, the space of positions definitely overlap. Different types of consumers overlap at stores to buy nondairy milk. These stores overlap with the distributors who choose which stores to sell it at, and the distributors overlap with the farmers and cheese industries competing in those same stores to those consumers. These relational positions are maintained, and arguably advanced, the longer nondairy alternatives stay relevant. By continuously offering nondairy options at restaurants and coffee shops, or from society’s push for the benefits of drinking alternatives opposed to real dairy, relationships advocating for this culinary change continue to withhold their power. However the positions can be advanced. Food companies can create a product that would fully exceed profitability to regular dairy. Hypothetically speaking, the relationships in this field could completely turn over to consuming only nondairy milk options and leave the dairy industry overlooked.
The institutional resources required for this change in culinary field fall within its specific capital. The acclaims associated with this category are similar to those in other culinary fields, meaning external support from those in a higher capital are extremely influential to the overall leverage of nondairy milk. Major food companies have taken over the market with dozens of brands, a variety of eateries support the use of these alternatives within their own businesses, and the prestige of glamorized chefs and food professionals continue to praise the use of nondairy options. Almonds blended in water have little value without the companies, restaurants, and people who promote them. The standards for this category within beverage consumption continue to shift as society continues to provide its hierarchal weight. The act of producing nondairy milk is not a novel concept, just as much as milking an animal isn’t, but its prestige and complexity of relationships defining its worth allow it to compete (or perhaps win) the industry’s longing for the next best thing.