BLOG: Yesterday we brought you news of Red Tractor has re-certifing a farm that featured in a Panorama documentary about abuse against cows in the dairy industry here in the UK, today we celebrate the day of supreme cognitive dissonance that is ‘Cow Appreciation Day’ in the US. Claire Hamlett reports.

Red Tractor has recertified the Welsh dairy farm that was featured in an episode of BBC’s investigative program Panorama in February, which showed footage of workers horrifically and illegally abusing the cows.

DEBUNKED: The nutritional value of plant-based cheeses relative to their far less compassionate dairy-based alternatives has received a lot of attention in the press recently. This may be true of many vegan versions right now, but as Claire Hamlett writes, are our critics missing the point?

NEWS: Animal Rebellion has revealed in a new campaign video its plans to cause “large-scale material disruption to the supply of dairy” in the UK this September.

We don’t review many films here at Surge, but on watching Cow - which had the potential to be one of the most important portraits of a farmed animal ever to be made - we’re left with the feeling that justice wasn’t done to its star, Luma the mother cow. Spoiler alerts are not necessary, writes Andrew Gough.

On Monday night the BBC aired an episode of its investigative documentary show Panorama entitled ‘A Cow’s Life: The True Cost of Milk?’ The reaction from viewers has been huge and heartening, while that of the dairy industry has been furious but rather more predictable.

To mark the release of our Veganuary 2022 video, here is our list of the five best books, films and documentaries to help humans shift their perspective to some of those who we exploit by not going plant-based. Do you know someone taking the Veganuary challenge? Send them our essential viewing and reading to help them make the ethical connection.

NEWS ROUND-UP: bringing you a digest of headlines you might have missed from the past week, covering animal agriculture, animal protection and environmental justice.

OPINION: Starbucks today made the staggering announcement to remove its plant-based milk surcharge and instead apply it to cows’ milk to combat what it called “dietary racism"…or did it? The news turned out to be fake, but did it highlight discrimination against those who cannot stomach dairy?

OPINION: The announcement by Nestlé of its new plant-based range was met with furious indignation from farmers who accused the food giant of ‘virtue signalling’. But where was their recognition of hypocrisy when dairy farming was linked to deforestation, asks Claire Hamlett.

Why am I, a Surge team member, even taking a course on dairy production? Let’s wind back a bit to the beginning of the story.

In yet another sign that the UK dairy industry is in serious trouble, new figures out this week have revealed a staggering drop in sales of milk and cream to the EU, by far our largest export market. Is this really just teething troubles, as Boris Johnson calls them, or is it another nail in the coffin of cow exploitation?