This past Sunday, soccer fans around the world were glued to their computers, televisions, and radios for the final match of the 22nd FIFA World Cup. In a penalty shootout, Argentina overtook France in one of the most thrilling finals in World Cup history. While France has carried the trophy home twice before, in 1998 and 2018, Argentina has now claimed the title three times in 1978, 1986, and 2022. When it comes to dairy, the two soccer powerhouses, while not quite as evenly matched, are both still global dynamos.
“Both countries boast strong dairy traditions and share their dairy products with the world,” said Monica Ganley, analyst with the Daily Dairy Report and principal of Quarterra, an agricultural consulting firm in Buenos Aires.
Last year, according to data from Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture and Dairy Market Observatory, Argentina’s1.577 million dairy cows produced an estimated 26.3 billion pounds of milk. Over the past 10 years, the country’s milk production increased at an average annual rate of 1.2% due mostly to productivity improvements, Ganley noted. Per cow productivity increased 20.9% from 2011 to 16,649 lbs. in 2021. But that’s still 30.5% less milk than the average cow produces in the United States, she added.
“Most of Argentina’s dairy producers capitalize on the country’s vast pastureland and domestic grain production to employ a mixed system of both extensive and intensive practices that allows them to enjoy a moderate cost structure,” Ganley said. “Argentina enjoys rich natural resource wealth, and while this should be a boon for dairy industry growth, political mismanagement and a tumultuous economy have stymied expansion.”
Argentina manufactures its milk supply into a variety of products, with more than 43% of the milk going into cheese and another third dried into milk powder, particularly whole milk powder, much of it exported.
“The remainder of Argentina’s milk supply is destined for fluid milk, fresh products, and the country’s hallmark dulce de leche, a rich caramel product mostly used in desserts,” Ganley said. “In milk equivalent terms, per capita consumption in Argentina is about 420 lbs., although it has fallen in recent years due to economic challenges.”
Across the Atlantic, France’s dairy industry is more than twice as big as Argentina’s, with roughly 3.6 million cows that produce nearly 55 billion pounds of milk. France, Europe’s second-largest milk producer, accounts for about 17% of the milk produced in the European Union, the world’s largest exporter of dairy products
“However, like many Western European producers, French producers have been feeling the pressure of intensifying labor and environmental challenges and milk production has suffered,” Ganley said. Over the last decade, France’s milk production has fallen at an average annual rate of 0.2%, according to Eurostat.
“About one third of France’s milk is processed into cheeses including iconic French varieties like Brie, Camembert, and Roquefort, names that the French have aggressively tried to protect through geographic indicator language. Another fifth is processed into butter and milkfat products,” she said. “Dairy products form a cornerstone of the French diet, with average per capita consumption of 530 lbs. per year—less than U.S. per capita consumption—including 27 lbs. of cheese. Yet despite this substantial domestic consumption, 40% of French milk supplies still move offshore.”
When it comes to dairy, France may have the edge on Argentina, but when it comes to soccer, Argentina has proven that it has the edge on France.
