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.

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.

As absurd as that headline sounds, it could very soon be a reality. Amendment 171, currently being considered for approval by the European Commission, could soon make it illegal for producers of plant-based dairy alternatives to use not just terms like “creamy” and “buttery”, but even hint at an association. We take a look at this lobby-led censorship, other bans like it and what it means not just for vegans but Europe as a whole.

As someone who milked cows for 18 years, I can vouch that dairy farmers can and do have a real fondness for their cows. Like Nate Chittenden in Andrew Jacob's recent article. 'Is Dairy Farming Cruel to Cows?', a lot of the cows I milked had names, I could pet them and I never wanted to see them suffer. What I didn't realise at the time was that every single day I was CAUSING suffering to those animals I loved. How? Where to start.

Enthusiasts of coagulated bovine breast milk and questionable ethics came out fighting yesterday with a new challenge to mark the start of so-called ‘Februdairy’. We take a look at #CheeseADayChallenge, where it came from and our thoughts on how we as vegans and animal rights campaigners can get involved.