We're being encouraged to consider sheep's milk as an alternative to cow's milk.

A study just out of Lincoln University shows milking sheep rather than cows could preserve New Zealand's clean green image.

Agribusiness Management Senior Lecturer Dr Nic Lees told Andrew Dickens sheep can't replace our cow herd, because cows produce a lot more milk.

But "it's a viable alternative that can compete with dairy farming in terms of its economic benefits but it also has a lot of environmental benefits," he said.

LISTEN ABOVE TO NIC LESS TALK WITH ANDREW DICKENS