What makes goat milk healthier and more sustainable?

Reducing our carbon (and methane) footprint

Climate change is real, and we’re certainly feeling its effects in the Pacific Northwest. As a family, we are doing our best to contribute to sustainable solutions. We drive less and bike more, we collect rainwater for use in the garden. We buy locally to reduce transportation emissions, support the regional economy, and buy most of our food in bulk to avoid plastics and packaging as much as possible.

But each time we recycle an empty plastic gallon milk jug – at least twice a week for this milk-loving family – we feel like our efforts are being thwarted. And buying milk in a glass jar on tap is too expensive for us as a family of five.

Then we realized, goats are a major source of dairy and meat products around the world, and not only that, they are more environmentally friendly than cows. Goats produce significantly less methane than cows do: about 5kg of methane annually, compared to the 55kg of methane produced by the average cow. (1, 4) That is a huge difference in ozone depletion.

Goats also require fewer resources than cows, including less water and less space. As browsers, they also eat a wide variety of shrubs and weeds, including many common “pests,” making them a useful and sustainable resource for weed management on the homestead. (2, 3) As a result, goats also eat less hay and significantly less processed feed than cows do.

Health benefits of goat milk

Goat milk has more calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and Vitamin A than cow milk. (4, 6) In addition to higher amounts of some minerals, the bioavailability of minerals in goat milk is higher than in cow milk, meaning the body has easier access to those minerals. (8)

Goat milk also has less lactose than cow milk and its protein structure is different, making it more similar to human breast milk. Hence, many people who are lactose sensitive can actually drink goat milk (5). Compared to cow milk, soy milk, and nut milks, goat milk has more protein per serving, a whopping 8 grams per cup! (7) And the protein in goat milk appears to be more digestible, meaning your body can use it more easily. (6, 8)

Studies have also shown that goat milk can help reduce cholesterol in the arteries and gallbladder. (6) Goat milk also has higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acids, which play an important role in immune stimulation, growth promotion, and disease prevention. (8) It is also rich in oligosaccharides, which serve a protective function for intestinal flora against pathogens and in brain and nervous system development. (8)

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Sources Cited

1. Paul J. Crutzen, Ingo Aselmann & Wolfgang Seiler (1986) Methane production by domestic animals, wild ruminants, other herbivorous fauna, and humans. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology. DOI: 10.3402/tellusb.v38i3-4.15135
2. “Using Goats for Vegetation Management.” (USDA Extension)
3. Goat Green | ILC FAQ
4. “Scoop.it | Cow Milk, Hello Goat Milk.” Modern Farmer (5 March 2015).
5. “Health-Promoting Ingredients in Goat’s Milk and Fermented Goat’s Milk Drinks.” Animals (Basel): 2 March 2023.
6. “Goat Milk: Are There Health Benefits?” Dr. P. Barman, WebMD (24 Sept. 2020/2024).
7. “All of the Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits of Goat Milk.” Stefan Soskos, Good Housekeeping (4 April 2020).
8. “The Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Goat Milk Components.” Nutrients in Dairy and Their Implications on Health and Disease. Eds. Ronald Ross Watson, Robert J. Collier, and Victor R. Preedy. (Elsevier, 2018).