Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 6 to 13.
Organic farming, once dismissed as an elitist indulgence, is gaining traction as consumers recognize its merits in terms of sustainability, nutrition, and animal welfare. Industrial dairy production, characterized by intensive farming methods, has fundamentally altered the nature of milk production, prioritizing efficiency over ethical considerations. Modern dairy cows endure extreme physiological strain, producing nearly double the milk their ancestors did, a feat that comes at the expense of their health and longevity. Chronic lameness, reproductive dysfunction, and metabolic disorders have become widespread, rendering these creatures disposable once their productivity wanes.
A particularly grim aspect of industrial dairy farming is the fate of male calves, deemed commercially unviable due to their genetics favoring milk production over meat yield. Approximately 55,000 are culled annually in Britain alone, an unsettling testament to the inefficiencies embedded in non-organic systems. The females have slightly better outcomes, but they are taken from their mothers just days after birth, causing considerable distress for both. Additionally, artificial insemination remains a routine procedure, ensuring that dairy cows maintain relentless lactation cycles, often leaving them in a permanent state of metabolic depletion.
Organic dairy systems, while not exempt from these realities, offer significantly improved conditions for livestock, ensuring greater access to pasture and a diet closer to what nature intended. Organic regulations mandate that cows spend substantial time grazing outdoors, with a minimum requirement of 60% forage-based feed, which enhances both their health and milk quality. As a result, organic milk contains 50% more omega-3 fatty acids, crucial for cardiovascular and cognitive function in humans, making it a nutritionally superior option. While the output is lower, the trade-off ensures superior nutritional value, a more humane existence for the animals, and a reduction in the dependency on antibiotics often prevalent in non-organic systems.
Some pioneering farms are challenging conventional paradigms by integrating ethical dairy and meat production models that respect both the animals and the land. At Daylesford, breeding strategies prioritize longevity, reducing the need for constant herd replacements while ensuring that even male calves contribute meaningfully to the farming enterprise. Similarly, Calf at Foot micro dairy adopts a radically compassionate approach, allowing calves to remain with their mothers for the natural weaning period, fostering healthier cows and better milk quality. Though still uncommon, such models exemplify a potential future where dairy farming balances commercial viability with ecological responsibility and ethical stewardship, offering a more conscientious path forward in food production.
(Adapted from The Independent)
Question 6: Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a benefit of organic dairy systems?
A. reduced reliance on antibiotics in dairy farming
B. improved animal welfare through better living conditions outdoors
C. higher omega-3 content is beneficial for human health
D. increased milk production compared to industrial dairy farming
