"The Dairy Industry Is Dying" Interview with MILKED documentary makers Episode 70

The Plant Based News Podcast

Welcome back to the Plant Based News Podcast. This week’s episode we are throwing the spotlight on a fascinating and important new feature documentary called Milked, directed by Amy Taylor which uncovers the disturbing reality of New Zealand’s dairy farming industry. Joining us is the film’s Co-producer and presenter Chris Huriwai, who embarked on an investigation across Aotearoa (the Māori name for New Zealand) focusing on the destructive impact that animal farming is having on the environment. In the documentary, Chris is featured alongside Suzy Amis Cameron, the former actress turned environmentalist married to Avatar filmmaker James Cameron. We are thrilled that Suzy - one of the film’s executive producers - joins us in our discussion today. Also playing a big part of our conversation is Keegan Kuhn, the co-director of the award-winning documentary Cowspiracy, and another executive producer who worked on Milked. As a film that is promising to follow other influential and critically lauded environmental documentaries from the last few years, Milked reveals the behind-the-scenes reality of the kiwi dairy farming fairy-tale. It uncovers alarming information about the impacts of the industry on the planet and our health. The PBN Podcast is Presented by Robbie Lockie Edited and co-produced by Phil Marriott Researched by Antonia Georgieva 00:01:55 Introductions 00:04:05 The reasons for creating MILKED 00:07:25 The vital ingredients in a documentary that hits home to people 00:08:23 The motivations behind financially backing a filmed such as MILKED 00:10:50 The shocking discoveries during filming 00:13:59 Greenwashing: Are industries deliberately ignoring the truths? 00:17:53 Advice for content creators wanting to spread the message 00:24:00 The threats that MILKED filmmakers experienced during the filming 00:28:20 The human cost of the dairy industries 00:33:03 Were the MILKED filmmakers able to feel compassion for the dairy farmers they met during the shoot? 00:36:07 What are the solutions? How can farmers move away from dairy? 00:38:10 Are films like MILKED starting to shift the global mindset with regards to consuming animal products? 00:40:00 What does the future of humanity look like? 00:54:04 Precision fermentation 01:00:50 If precision fermentation does become more popular, should these products have health warnings on them? 01:02:37 Where can we see MILKED? 01:03:37 Some of the actions viewers can take after seeing MILKED 01:05:20 Stranded on a desert island