Cash Cow: How the Maternal Body Became a Global Commodity – and the Hidden Costs for Women

by Alev Scott

'Captivating, mind-boggling and deeply disturbing' – Maureen Freely

'Humane, thoughtful and urgent — this book will make you think, make you laugh, make you cry, but also make you burn with rage' – Dr Mary Wellesley

A thought-provoking deep dive into the global fertility industry and the commodification of the maternal body

Should surrogacy be a paid service, an altruistic act – or even legal at all?

Is it right that you can pay more for ‘VIP’ egg donors – and to view their photos?

How much, if anything, should breastmilk cost – and who should be allowed to buy it?

The global fertility industry is rapidly growing, hugely profitable and morally complex. This an industry where one person’s biological bad luck can be another person’s financial gain. From egg freezing to black-market breastmilk, the maternal body has never been more commodified, yet the ethical, emotional and economic implications are rarely considered.

Through a combination of undercover reporting and detailed first-hand accounts – including a surrogate of 12 children, an international embryo courier and a man who buys breastmilk for his IBS – Alev Scott exposes how the IVF, surrogacy and milk industries operate around the world and who is profiting. In doing so, she considers the blurred line between exploitation and empowerment. Who should make money from the maternal only the women themselves, anyone or no one?

Timely, thought-provoking and compelling, Cash Cow is an unmissable investigation into how desire, desperation and commerce intersect, and the impact the fertility industry has on individuals.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2026

About the author

Alev Scott (born 1987) is a British-Turkish author, journalist, and cultural commentator. She is best known for her explorations of Turkish identity, Ottoman history, and modern sociopolitical issues in the Mediterranean and Middle East.

Reviews

[Sadhbh O'Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting and in depth exploration into the fertility industry and the fundamental human forces that drive it, as well as all the ways it is commercialised and commodified. Read for work.

[Laila Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book after reading about two women who had used their own eggs and had carefully chosen one anonymous, healthy sperm donor, in order to have two babies that were related, only to find out that the second child had a different sperm donor. This may have happened in one of the clinics in Northern Cyprus that Alev herself went undercover to report on, in order to find out about this lucrative industry in IVF and sperm donors.


In a compelling narrative we discover more about this search for what many of us take for granted alongside Alev’s personal experience of donating breast milk and what lies behind its increasing commercialisation, as well as the the use of surrogacy and IVF, from personal accounts to the market driven capitalisation of this fertility business.


It is an eye opener to discover that commercial surrogacy for foreigners is legal only in the US, Ukraine, Georgia and Iran!.Parents of all sexual persuasions do pick and choose but it is still a minefield in various other countries. Alev takes us on her journey to discover where the clinics are, who profits and the happy outcomes of this trade in human life with interviews with surrogates and grateful clients, clinicians and some heartwarming stories.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. Alev Scott takes you by the hand and drags you into a world you didn't know you needed to visit. But the minute you hear about her selling her breast milk to a trucker named Steve, you can't turn away as she journeys into the sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes seedy and always fascinating world of surrogacy, fertility and breast milk sales. These global industries are booming - and in unexpected places. Who knew Iran was a popular surrogacy destination? Not me. This book is beautifully written and researched but what sets it apart is the author's eye for the story. You can tell she's a first rate journalist. Some of the people she interviews come to life and stay with you. Stephanie, a woman who likes being pregnant enough to do it a dozen times, deserves her own Netflix series. With women's bodies being commodified and subjected to legal gymnastics, this is a timely book that leaves you grappling with the difficult moral and ethical terrain we, as a society, now find ourselves in. And though a non-fiction book, this is actually a great choice for a book club. So much to discuss!

[Magdalena Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my word where do I start?! This book is shocking, eye-opening, thought-provoking, insanely well reasearched and just so full of empathy. I loved the audiobook version narrated by Alev Scott and I couldn't stop listening, even when I got to the grim parts. I definitely did get upset a few times, but there was so much in this book that I either didn't know or simply didn't ever think about - until now. I know this book, facts and stories within it, will stick with me for a while and I think it's important that people read it, whether you're a woman or a parent or not. The whole industry built around women and their reproductive system; using both women and people who are *so* desperate to have children; even just sharing breastmilk with another woman and child in need. There is so much to think about, there is so much to be aware of, and I am grateful to Alev Scott that she has brought all of this to our attention. A very important read.

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly educational and well researched book. I learned so many new things while reading this, from the world of the breast milk market, to altruistic surrogacy. Scott presents all the facts without judgment and in a very clear and concise manner. As a woman, pregnancy and childbirth is inexplicable tied into our social expectations, and this book really opened my eyes and educated me in so many ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #CashCow #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Bookwormbadger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and compulsively readable account of the global industries related to parenthood - specifically breastmilk, egg donation and surrogacy. I found this book extremely interesting and learned loads. Very well written and thought provoking. Highly recommended.

[Gordon Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an eye-opener, even for those in the industry or struggling personally with fertility issues, and beautifully written. It conveys the tension of being in that world, and the pressure of uncovering, in investigative journalist mode, what is really going on behind the scenes.

[Cordelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so crazy, Scott brings up issues and experiences women face when it comes motherhood - some I have never even thought about as a woman who hasn't had children. Really fascinating.

[Beth Ibbotson · Rating 4 out of 5]

incredible research and journalism! and well isn’t being a woman in the modern world really so absurd and bizarre

[Hannah W · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The audiobook had a blooper left it, never heard that before :D

[Fleur Currie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merged personal reflections and experiences with journalistic research to combine a nuanced, thought provoking book.

[Simon Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, thought provoking and occasionally disturbing look at the comodification of pregnancy and motherhood.

[Teddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay this topic is always my favorite thing to talk about and think about and read about so of course i loved this (excellent) book very much

[Colin Thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, eye opening, balanced, and frank discussion and investigation into a topic is often too taboo to learn about

[Jessie Bartholomew-Smythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book so much! Every aspect was fascinating to me and it’s so well written that it kept my attention at all times, even on a flight, in a busy coffee shop, while my wife played podcasts out-loud and while my phone pinged!
It has clearly been researched extremely thoroughly, but contains enough of the authors personal reactions, feelings and instincts (which she then challenges) that it stops the book feeling clinical, and gives it the relatability of talking to a friend/loved one.
I can’t wait to lend this to so many people/recommend that they buy a copy on 26th February.

[Chelsea Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Cash Cow follows the global fertility industry and discusses the contradictions within it. This industry makes a lot of profit and this book discusses topics from selling breast milk to egg freezing as well as surrogacy. This book explores real human experiences involving the fertility industry including interviewing surrogates and a man who buys breast milk for his IBS. This book deals with this topic with nuance and carefully considers the blurred lines between exploitation and empowerment.

I really enjoyed this and I found it to be very eye opening. Before reading this book I’ve been quite judgmental about these topics so it was good to read about real people who have experienced things like surrogacy. It felt investigative as the author goes to the clinics herself and really seeks to understand what it would be like to use certain fertility services. I appreciate that this book is quite open ended in the epilogue and does not give any clear answers on these topics because they are so complex and each situation varies. I will be recommending this and I enjoyed reading this.