Cows are violently kicked, punched, and struck with pipes and electric goads at a dairy farm supplying a company that sells milk to Starbucks, and also major supermarkets including Aldi and Asda. Arla has now suspended the farm and admited the treatment of cows was “completely unacceptable”.

Newborn calves are force-fed, slapped, and separated from their mothers within minutes of birth. Dead calves are left in plain sight of grieving mothers and other calves, while lame cows, struggling to walk, are forced onto transport trucks. 

The investigation also uncovered overcrowding, with sheds designed for 125 cows crammed with up to 214, forcing animals to stand in their own waste. The footage also appears to capture acts that would be in violation of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997.

Mistreatment

Lowfields Farm in Northallerton, run as Miresdale Dairy Holding Limited, houses 2,400 cows and produces 273,000 litres of milk per week, some of which is supplied to Alra Foods UK. Arla in turn provides Starbucks in the UK with all of its milk. Animal Justice Project (AJP) is now urging Starbucks and the major supermarkets to sever ties with Arla. 

The investigation, conducted by AJP, reveals what appears to be routine cruelty to cows and calves, unsanitary conditions, and a lack of enforcement. Campaigners have condemned the treatment of cows as “illegal, immoral, and evidence of the systemic failings of UK dairy”.

Advocates for Animals law firm claims the footage captured indicates “serious breaches of law and non-compliance with the Defra Code, which also indicates a breach of law”.

Alra is Britain's largest milk supplier, reporting £1.2 billion in revenue in the first half of 2024. It plans to invest £300 million in UK farms. The footage from Lowfields Farm stands in stark contrast with Arla’s latest marketing campaign.

Alick Simmons is a former deputy chief veterinary officer for the UK Government and a former Food Standards Agency veterinary director. He said: “The footage reveals deeply concerning incidents of animal mistreatment on a large-scale dairy farm. 

Shocking

“The repeated use of sticks, plastic piping, and electric goads—often applied excessively and inappropriately—demonstrates a complete disregard for animal welfare. 

“Scenes of cows being beaten, kicked, and subjected to forceful handling, along with evidence of severe lameness and distressed calves, suggest systemic failures in training, supervision, and welfare compliance. 

He added: “Several instances captured in the video appear to constitute breaches of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and warrant urgent regulatory investigation. 

The repeated use of sticks, plastic piping, and electric goads demonstrates a complete disregard for animal welfare. 

“That such abuses occurred at a farm linked to a company presenting itself as an industry leader raises serious questions about oversight and accountability.”

Edie Bowles, a solicitor and member of Advocates for Animals, said: “The deliberate cruelty shown in the footage my client gathered is nothing short of shocking. 

Systemic

“Legal protections are in place to protect farmed animals from exactly this, so why does the footage indicate that the keepers of these dairy cows are able to behave this way on a seemingly regular basis in front of one another. 

“Is it the case that the laws that protect animals are not taken seriously? This is supported by the Animal Sentience Committee, which released a report last week that confirmed that the enforcement of laws that protect farmed animals is lacking. 

She concluded: “This is unacceptable, animals must receive the legal protections they are entitled to”.

Claire Palmer, the director of Animal Justice Project, said: “This investigation exposes the shocking cruelty inflicted on cows and calves at this Arla farm and also the brutal, hidden reality these animals face daily in milk production. 

“Crucially, this was not the misconduct of a single worker. Abuse was systemic, involving all staff, including the farm manager. 

Prods

“This indicates that mistreatment was not only routine but also tolerated and ingrained within the farm’s operations, raising serious concerns about Arla’s standards and oversight.”

She added: “True corporate responsibility means refusing to stock or sell products linked to cruelty. Starbucks claims to care about sustainability, yet it continues to support an industry built on suffering.”

Workers used pipes, kicks, punches, whips, tail twisting, and electric prods, including on cows’ faces and udders, to force movement.

Plummeted

Lame cows, struggling to walk, were violently forced onto transport trucks, violating animal transport laws. Injured and ill cows were left to suffer without treatment, breaching the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007.

Sheds designed for 125 cows housed up to 214, forcing animals to stand in their own waste. Dead calves and an adult cow were left in the open, posing disease risks.

Footage showed blood dripping from a calf’s head and a cow bleeding while being milked; many cows had swollen udders, indicating infection. Cows slipped and hit their heads, udders, and faces. One cow was filmed jumping through a pen and falling on the floor.

Oversight at British farms remains weak despite government efforts to improve dairy welfare. Local authority inspections have plummeted due to budget cuts, leaving farms largely self-regulated.

A report by the Social Market Foundation found that only 2.3 per cent of UK animal welfare breaches result in prosecution. 

Plant-based

A recent YouGov poll commissioned by AJP found that most people remain unaware of fundamental dairy farming practices. In fact, only 17 per cent of customers felt that dairy companies provide them with enough information about how their products are made.

Evidence confirming this is an Arla farm includes staff admissions, an Arla-branded tanker on-site, and multiple online references from news sources including Huffington Post, Farmers Weekly, Darlington & Stockton Times and The Farmers Mart.

While the dairy industry clings to outdated models, consumer habits are evolving. One-third of people in Britain are open to plant-based alternatives like oat milk. Two-thirds of Gen Z already choose plant-based milk over dairy. In 2023, UK meat consumption was reported to have fallen by 14 per cent since 2012, partly due to ethical concerns.

“Thankfully, people are becoming increasingly aware of the realities of dairy farming, despite the industry's ongoing efforts to conceal them,” said Palmer. “This growing awareness is certainly driving the rise of plant-based foods”

Standards

A spokesperson for Arla said: “Animal welfare is of the utmost importance and we take a zero-tolerance approach. We take any matters relating to this extremely seriously. The actions that are shown in this footage are completely unacceptable and do not meet the high standards that we expect from our farmers. 

"The individuals in the video are no longer employed at the farm. However, Arla has taken the decision to suspend the farmer whilst we investigate this further. While the investigation is still ongoing, we have already put a number of measures in place alongside independent auditors and external standards organisations.”

A spokesperson for Aldi told the Daily Mirror, which has published the AJP footage: “We take matters like this extremely seriously. We welcome the prompt actions taken at this farm to restore the high standards that our customers expect. We will remain in contact with the supplier and Red Tractor to monitor the ongoing steps being taken in response to these allegations.”

A spokesperson for Asda said: “We welcome the quick response, investigation, and actions taken by Arla and Red Tractor to ensure the future welfare of animals on this farm."

A Red Tractor spokesperson told the Daily Mirror: “We take animal welfare extremely seriously. Within eight hours of Red Tractor receiving this footage...an independent assessor was on the farm to investigate this unacceptable behaviour by farm workers.

“This inspection confirmed all individuals identified as mistreating animals no longer work on the farm. To ensure the future welfare of animals, Red Tractor will require all those still working on the farm to complete additional training. Depending on the outcome of further investigation, the farm may also face other sanctions."

Starbucks said that it was committed to the highest animal welfare standards.

This Author

Brendan Montague is editor of The Ecologist.