Myth: Almond milk is worse for the planet than dairy milk

Walk down any supermarket aisle and you'll see it: the viral meme that almond milk is the real villain of the plant-based world. The claim pops up in documentaries, podcasts, and social media threads, often presented as a gotcha against eco-conscious consumers. But is it actually true?

The claim

The claim states that almond milk is worse for the planet than dairy milk, usually focusing on the water needed to grow almonds. It often says something like: 'It takes thousands of litres of water to make a glass of almond milk, while a glass of dairy milk only needs a cow.' This framing suggests that switching from cow's milk to almond milk is an environmental mistake.

Where it comes from

The idea gained traction in the late 2010s, after reports highlighted that California, which grows about 80% of the world's almonds, was in severe drought. Headlines quoted figures like '1.9 gallons of water per almond' and extrapolated them to a glass of almond milk. The dairy industry also launched marketing campaigns that questioned plant-based milks, and the meme spread rapidly on social media.

What the evidence says

The evidence does not support the claim. A comprehensive review by Poore & Nemecek, published in Science in 2018 and updated by Our World in Data, shows that the average greenhouse gas emissions per litre of dairy milk are about 3.1 kg CO2-eq, while almond milk emits about 0.7 kg. That's more than four times lower. Land use tells a similar story: dairy requires 8.9 square metres per litre, almond milk only 0.5.

Water is the tricky part. The global average water use per litre is 628 litres for dairy and 371 litres for almond milk, but this masks regional differences. In California, almonds use significantly more irrigation water, yet the total water footprint of dairy in California is also high because cows drink water and consume irrigated feed. A 2019 life-cycle assessment from the University of California found that per litre, dairy uses roughly 55 litres of blue water (surface and groundwater) in California, while almond milk uses about 95 litres. That is higher, but not the 'thousands of litres' often cited. The huge numbers usually come from green water (rainwater) that would fall anyway.

When looking at the full picture—emissions, land, and water scarcity—dairy still ranks worse. The Water Footprint Network's scarcity-weighted indicator shows dairy's impact is considerably higher because of feed crops like alfalfa, which are also irrigated.

Here is a quick comparison per litre of milk, based on global averages:

These figures come from the largest aggregated dataset on food impacts, covering 38,000 farms in 119 countries, and are the most cited in peer-reviewed literature.

The kernel of truth

There is a real issue behind the myth. Almond farming in California uses a lot of irrigation water in an already dry region, and that can affect local rivers and groundwater. Bees used for almond pollination also face high mortality rates due to pesticide exposure and colony stress. So almond milk is not without its environmental concerns.

However, these issues are specific to one region and one crop, and they do not outweigh dairy's far larger global footprint. Moreover, many almond milks contain only about 2-5% almonds by weight, meaning the water footprint per carton is even smaller than people think. Oat and soy milks, which are also widely available, have even lower water use and emissions, so they are excellent alternatives if you want to avoid almonds entirely.

The honest verdict

The myth is false. On virtually every global environmental indicator, dairy milk is worse for the planet than almond milk. The only caveat is local water scarcity in California, where almonds do have a real impact. But that does not make almond milk 'worse' overall. If you are concerned about almonds, choose oat or soy milk instead—both are even lighter on the planet. For anyone switching from dairy, almond milk is already a meaningful step forward.