INTRODUCTION:
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of foods. However, in today’s world milk is consumed by adults for food, as an antidote, and for skin care therefore, making it an essential commodity to every society.
Milk contains essential vitamins and nutrients that cater to the well being of both adults and children; this includes calcium, vitamins A, B & D.
The history of milk began in the Neolithic age (the new stone age), a time when humans started the transition from hunting and gathering to a more settled way of life.

Life Cycle of Milk Supply Chain:

Environmental and societal impact of Milk;
The dairy industry poses a number of challenges to the health of the environment- * Methane emission- this is release from cows’ during the digestion process either by belching or flatulence. Statistics vary on how much methane an average dairy cow expels on a daily basis. Some experts say 100 liters to 200 liters, while others say it's up to 500 liters a day. This amount of methane is comparable to pollution expelled by a vehicle * Carbon emission- according to studies carried out by the U.S dairy carbon footprint study, it showed that carbon footprint of a gallon of milk is approximately 17.6 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents. This will usually occur during milk freight and distribution. * Water pollution-Disposal of organic wastes without treatment leads to pollution of water resources hence, causing a rapid growth of microscopic algae that kill fishes and other aquatic life. Furthermore, ammonia released from manure can lease to acid rain causing environmental harm. * Land conversion - The dairy industry is also responsible for majority of land conversion, particularly in the tropics, to grow the feed