Cash Cow
How the Maternal Body Became a Global Commodity – and the Hidden Costs for Women
Book • 2026
Alev Scott's Cash Cow examines the commodification of the maternal body across markets for breast milk, eggs and surrogacy, combining undercover reporting with interviews and personal reflection.
The book reveals how unregulated or lightly regulated industries profit from women’s reproductive labor and biological materials, often raising ethical concerns and exploiting vulnerabilities.
Scott documents online milk markets, commercial milk processing, international egg donation and surrogacy hubs, and highlights disparities in regulation and access.
She interweaves investigative findings with her own experiences — including donation, undercover enquiries and a personal miscarriage — to illuminate human costs behind a lucrative market.
The book calls for more open discussion and stronger, ideally international, regulation to protect women and children involved in these markets.
The book reveals how unregulated or lightly regulated industries profit from women’s reproductive labor and biological materials, often raising ethical concerns and exploiting vulnerabilities.
Scott documents online milk markets, commercial milk processing, international egg donation and surrogacy hubs, and highlights disparities in regulation and access.
She interweaves investigative findings with her own experiences — including donation, undercover enquiries and a personal miscarriage — to illuminate human costs behind a lucrative market.
The book calls for more open discussion and stronger, ideally international, regulation to protect women and children involved in these markets.
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Alev Scott
Milk and eggs: How women’s bodies became a global commodity – The Saturday Story
