On Tuesday, November 12, Dean Foods, America’s largest milk producer recently filed for bankruptcy. Over the past couple of years, Americans have drunk less and less cows milk, and it has had some negative facts on the 94-year-old company. 2019 has been particularly brutal for Dean Foods; in the first half of the year, the company lost around seven percent of sales. Then in the next six months, they lost over fourteen percent of sales. In total, they lost approximately eighty percent of all their stocks.

The company, that produces some of the most recognizable dairy brands including Organic Valley, Dairy Pure, and Land O’Lakes Milks, has  blamed their massive decline https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dean-foods-decline-has-more-to-do-with-water-than-oat-mil‌

k-2019-11-14‌‌ in sales on the “accelerated decline of the conventional white milk category.” Dean Foods is now overwhelmed with debts and is unable to pay workers’ pensions. As a result on Tuesday, November 12, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to hopefully reorganize the company. They are also hoping to sell the majority of their company to The Dairy Farmers of America Cooperative.

As the global market for milk-alternatives is expected to surpass $18 million by the end of this year, sales on cows milk will continue to decline. With the annual value of the cow’s milk industry declining from $15 million in 2015 to $12 million presently. It is also not just cow’s milk that is in lesser demand, but all other dairy products. In contrast, while still being much smaller, the sales of oat milk have increased by over 630% to just over $50 million market value.