Asklemmy

No, because a cow has to be impregnated and their baby is taken away (and either killed (male) or is also going to be a milk cow (female)) just for you having some pleasure.

My brain says yes but my bowels say no.

Brain still wins every time. I can handle some discomfort in the future for a mouth full of bliss right now.

I really wish there was some ethical way of farming dairy cows, but have come to the conclusion that it just isn't with current methods and knowledge. I have some land and love cows so considered getting one or two for hobby-farming and just so I could have my own "cruelty free" dairy. Here are some things to consider about dairy farming:

• Only female cows produce milk.
• Female cows only produce milk for a brief period of time after giving birth.
• Every single cow requires at least one acre of grazing.
• You only need one bull on a dairy farm to provide sperm.
• Baby calves want to be near their mothers and will drink their milk.

The only way to fit these pieces together in any economical way is to: (a) forcefully impregnate cows as often as possible, (b) limit the amount of time calves can be with their mothers so they don't drink all the milk, and (c) slaughter male calves for veal. This is cruel no matter how you slice it. If you are born a cow you are taken away from your mother and given food you don't like and isn't as good for you as the milk that was produced specifically for you. If you are unlucky enough to be a female cow you will spend the next several years of your life being forcefully impregnated and having your own children taken away from you every year. If you are a male cow you'll only know life on earth for a short while before being put out of your misery. In the end, regardless of gender or age, you'll be sent into a long line of other confused and panicked cows to be slaughtered for your meat and organs at a factory staffed by strangers in scary masks you've never seen before with the smell of death and terror all around you. There is no such thing as ethical dairy and any company proclaiming otherwise is not being honest with you or themselves.

Edit: I should say that there are better ways of doing most of the steps in dairy farming that aren't as cruel. But unless consumers are okay paying something along the lines of $20 for a gallon of milk, capitalism will never permit those practices to actually happen.

Also wanted to say that I'm not necessarily against animal products. I have chickens. They are as happy as can be and give us delicious eggs every day. I feed them well and treat them like family and they don't mind me taking their eggs. I really don't see an issue with this exchange because there is no cruelty and both parties benefit. There are numerous examples of this with animals and animal products. However, I believe that dairy is one of those cases where there isn't really an ethical solution. Even if you take the unnecessary cruelty out of the process, you are still left with at least a little cruelty. Where do you draw the line?

Yes.

what is your reason for saying so?

I don't understand this part of the question :P

The answer is yes because the question is cheese..

Yes, because cheese. Lactose intolerance be damned

I don't need cheese, I have nooch!

I love cheese, but it is a rather odd food. Something squirted from a cow that is left sitting around and bacteria grows in it…. great.

Yes, because cheese is delicious. Cheese can go with meat, pasta, bread, fruit, vegetables, wine, beer, fried foods, foods with delicate flavors, and so much more. There's such a large variety of cheeses that it's practically its own food group.

Loved cheese but not having it any more. Not my milk not my cheese. My pleasure can’t come at the expense of another sentient, innocent being, especially not if that involves forced impregnation, being caged up, and having your children be taken almost right away who then often end up being killed because there’s no use.

No to cheese made from bovine mammary secretions, because I try not to participate in animal exploitation anymore. Yes to plant based cheese, because it's delicious.

Cheese is one of the best parts of being alive.

Yes. Gouda, Brie, Cheddar, Manchego, Meunster, Provolone, Parmesan, Feta, Asagio, Monterey Jack, Stilton, I could go on..

No. I'm having a lemonade.

Yes, because I like it.

Yes.

Yes, because it tastes good.

Yes, I use jalapeño cream cheese daily for my egg sandwich.

Yes. Cheese protects against death from any cause.

The real question is, why aren't you eating more cheese?

Yes.

I love cheese.

i love cheese. i eat parmesan triangles sometimes, rind included

Absolutely yes. A food that can elevate a dish or be great on its own. More cheese please.

Because pecorino, parmigiano e gorgonzola are delicious.

I love cheese, but it's safe to say that cheese doesn't love me. https://youtu.be/bVKCHZqax84