Vegan activist and award-wining actress Edie Falco spoke against US Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to bail out the diary products industry. The Governor’s Nourish New York Initiative is to spend $25 million to purchase unsold dairy products that will be delivered to food banks.
In an Op-Ed on the New York Daily New Falco writes “With federal funds stretched to the limit, why would the governor squander $25 million to bail out the dairy industry, which is rife with disease and cruelty?”
“Not only is dairy not “essential,” factory farming, including dairy farming, is a breeding ground for disease. If the current pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that raising and killing animals for food is a global health risk.” Listing some that have originated from animals such as Swine Flu and Avian Flu which originated from factory farms in the United States
She also argues the lack of federal funds and the more pressing needs for the state to spend their money on other things than buying dairy products. “With federal funds stretched to the limit, why would the governor squander $25 million to bail out the dairy industry, which is rife with disease and cruelty?” “If we want to nourish New York and help the state’s struggling dairy farmers, Governor Cuomo can put that $25 million to better use,” she said.
Falco said that the funding should be directed to fruit and vegetable farmers, “People growing real food, vegetables, and fruits that keep us healthy, deserve help.” She also added the health and allergy risk from the consumption of dairy products “milk, cheese and other dairy products have been linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimers, and an increased risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancers.” “Cow’s milk is often foisted upon schoolchildren, even though it’s one of the primary causes of food allergies among kids, and millions of Americans are lactose-intolerant, including many people of color.”
She suggested that if New York wants to help struggling dairy farmers, they should help them train for jobs in making healthy plant-based milk than buying dairy products. “If we want to nourish New York and help the state’s struggling dairy farmers, Governor Cuomo can put that $25 million to better use. Let’s help dairy workers retrain for jobs making the healthy plant-based milk that consumers actually want to buy and increase the availability of nourishing vegan options in our schools and food banks.”
Edie Falco has been an intense supporter of veganism. A vegetarian herself for 16 years before switching to veganism in 2016. On mothers day Last year She joined Olympic soccer player Kara Lang Romero to urge Nestlé to “show kindness to mother cows and their babies” by transitioning to a plant-based ice cream line.
