Milk from the farm, the factory and the future: an ecofeminist reflection on Aotearoa New Zealand's dairy sector

In this article, I explore the topic of dairy transitions in Aotearoa New Zealand through an ecofeminist lens. This perspective challenges existing power dynamics and calls for greater consideration of ethical and political dimensions for food system transitions. I draw from reflections from doctoral fieldwork conducted in the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand in 2022, which included visits to 13 dairy farms, a milk processing facility, and a precision fermentation laboratory. Guided by ecofeminist ethics and critiques of feminised protein production, the paper advocates for more ethical engagement with the complex relations within dairy food systems and explores the cultural and the material realities of shifting away from animal-based dairy towards abstracted protein production. These reflections highlight the importance of critical place-based inquiry, researcher reflexivity, and situated knowledges in shaping understandings of just and sustainable agri-food transitions more broadly.