(Family Features) World Plant Milk Day on Aug. 22 is a day to celebrate plant-based alternatives to dairy milk – from soya to oats to cashew nuts to hemp, the diversity of vegan milks continues to grow. However, milk isn’t the only dairy product with plant-based alternatives.Consider that 65% of the population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy, according to the National Institutes of Health, resulting in the need for dairy alternatives across the board.The desire for plant-based butters and spreads is growing, according to Upfield, the company behind brands like Country Crock, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Flora and more. From both a health and sustainability perspective, more and more consumers are aiming to decrease the amount of animal products in their diets without compromising on taste.In honor of #WorldPlantMilkDay, and the rise in demand from consumers for plant-based alternatives, consider these fast facts on plant-based alternatives to dairy:

• It takes 21.2 pounds of whole milk to make 1 pound of butter, according to “The Science of Animal Agriculture.”
• Making plant butter has a much less harmful impact on the environment than raising livestock for use in dairy butter production, according to a study published in “The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment” comparing plant butter and dairy butter in the U.K., Germany and France. This includes significantly less carbon dioxide emissions, two-thirds less land use and half of the overall water use.
• According to the United States Department of Agriculture, there was a 25% drop in liquid cow milk consumption from 2000-2017.
• Data released by the Plant Based Foods Association and The Good Food Institute shows U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods have grown 11% in the past year, bringing the total plant-based market value to $4.5 billion. The total U.S. retail food market has grown 2% in dollar sales during this same period, showing that plant-based foods are a key driver of growth for retailers nationwide.

For more information, visit upfield.com/purpose.Celebrate Plant-Based Alternatives