It’s a well-known fact that cows naturally belch methane because of how they digest certain foods they eat.
A greenhouse gas, methane traps the sun’s heat and holds it like a blanket over our planet.
Though methane is distinct from carbon dioxide and its long lifespan, the simple chemical compound consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms is potent and deserving of attention.
For one thing, a reduction in enteric methane – the category emitted by ruminant animals such as cows – can slow warming as we get our arms around the more nefarious and prolific emissions that arise from the burning of fossil fuels.
Fewer cows, less belching of methane
The obvious answer to the question of how to lower enteric methane emissions from livestock would be to reduce our herd sizes. Fewer cows, less belching of methane.
But that solution doesn’t make sense in a world where the population trajectory is pointing towards 10bn by 2050 and demand for animal-derived foods is increasing.
Animal products such as meat, eggs and dairy are complete proteins. They provide all of the essential amino acids along with numerous other essential nutrients such as iron, calcium and vitamin B12 which our bodies need.
In addition, they’re efficient, delivering necessary nutrition in smaller portions than plant-based options.
Given that we have a finite and far from abundant supply of arable land, we will no doubt need animal agriculture to take advantage of marginal lands well suited for raising livestock to nourish that many people.
For 50 years at least, US beef and dairy farmers have lessened their herds’ carbon footprints through science and technology, including better nutrition
Faced with that challenge, not to mention the more immediate issues of climate change, my lab at University of California, Davis is moving full steam ahead with studies designed to reduce ruminants’ methane emissions through feed.
As exciting as it is, it’s not an entirely new idea. For 50 years at least, US beef and dairy farmers have lessened their herds’ carbon footprints through science and technology, including better nutrition.
Dietary needs
Armed with more information about the dietary needs of cattle, and the nutritional quality of feeds and their effects on methane formation, they have been successful in modifying cows’ diets to cut back drastically on methane per unit of meat or milk produced.
The time has come now to see if we can do more, and that’s where feed additives are coming in.
A few additives such as Agolin Ruminant are commercially available, but most are still in the research stage; some showing considerable promise.
These methane-reducing additives tend to work in one of two ways:
They serve as methane inhibitors that prevent the gas from forming in the first place; or They behave as fermentation modifiers that change how a cow’s stomach processes feed and thus, gives off methane. The red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis, with its active ingredient bromoform, and 3-nitrooxypropanol (3NOP) are two examples of methane inhibitors.
Asparagopsis taxiformis in particular has been generating a buzz, and as exciting as the results have been, it’s still too early to claim victory.
We need a lot more research and trials before we determine if it’s a viable and effective additive. And then there’s the issue of production and availability. This type of red seaweed doesn’t grow worldwide, and of all the seaweed that’s been tested, it is showing the best results.
We’re making strides with rumen modifiers as well. These substances can be manmade, as are ionophores, or naturally occurring compounds such as tannins, nitrates and essential oils.
As a class, they work by improving animal productivity and health. For example, protein and nitrogen are lost to microbes that live in the cow’s rumen.
Modifiers can help to prevent the microbes from using as much protein, thereby increasing its availability for the animal itself.
Can more additives lead to less emissions? We owe it to ourselves to find out
All of this research comes at a time when the stakes have never been higher. The clock is ticking on irreversible climate change and a population explosion that will stress the planet like never before.
Finding a way to make animal agriculture even more efficient has the potential to address both issues.
Can more additives lead to less emissions? We owe it to ourselves to find out.
Dr Frank Mitloehner is a professor and air quality specialist at University of California, Davis, focused on reducing greenhouse
gas emissions from cattle. He was invited to contribute a regular column to the Irish Farmers Journal.
It’s a well-known fact that cows naturally belch methane because of how they digest certain foods they eat.
A greenhouse gas, methane traps the sun’s heat and holds it like a blanket over our planet.
Though methane is distinct from carbon dioxide and its long lifespan, the simple chemical compound consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms is potent and deserving of attention.
For one thing, a reduction in enteric methane – the category emitted by ruminant animals such as cows – can slow warming as we get our arms around the more nefarious and prolific emissions that arise from the burning of fossil fuels.
Fewer cows, less belching of methane
The obvious answer to the question of how to lower enteric methane emissions from livestock would be to reduce our herd sizes. Fewer cows, less belching of methane.
But that solution doesn’t make sense in a world where the population trajectory is pointing towards 10bn by 2050 and demand for animal-derived foods is increasing.
Animal products such as meat, eggs and dairy are complete proteins. They provide all of the essential amino acids along with numerous other essential nutrients such as iron, calcium and vitamin B12 which our bodies need.
In addition, they’re efficient, delivering necessary nutrition in smaller portions than plant-based options.
Given that we have a finite and far from abundant supply of arable land, we will no doubt need animal agriculture to take advantage of marginal lands well suited for raising livestock to nourish that many people.
For 50 years at least, US beef and dairy farmers have lessened their herds’ carbon footprints through science and technology, including better nutrition
Faced with that challenge, not to mention the more immediate issues of climate change, my lab at University of California, Davis is moving full steam ahead with studies designed to reduce ruminants’ methane emissions through feed.
As exciting as it is, it’s not an entirely new idea. For 50 years at least, US beef and dairy farmers have lessened their herds’ carbon footprints through science and technology, including better nutrition.
Dietary needs
Armed with more information about the dietary needs of cattle, and the nutritional quality of feeds and their effects on methane formation, they have been successful in modifying cows’ diets to cut back drastically on methane per unit of meat or milk produced.
The time has come now to see if we can do more, and that’s where feed additives are coming in.
A few additives such as Agolin Ruminant are commercially available, but most are still in the research stage; some showing considerable promise.
These methane-reducing additives tend to work in one of two ways:
They serve as methane inhibitors that prevent the gas from forming in the first place; or They behave as fermentation modifiers that change how a cow’s stomach processes feed and thus, gives off methane. The red seaweed Asparagopsis taxiformis, with its active ingredient bromoform, and 3-nitrooxypropanol (3NOP) are two examples of methane inhibitors.
Asparagopsis taxiformis in particular has been generating a buzz, and as exciting as the results have been, it’s still too early to claim victory.
We need a lot more research and trials before we determine if it’s a viable and effective additive. And then there’s the issue of production and availability. This type of red seaweed doesn’t grow worldwide, and of all the seaweed that’s been tested, it is showing the best results.
We’re making strides with rumen modifiers as well. These substances can be manmade, as are ionophores, or naturally occurring compounds such as tannins, nitrates and essential oils.
As a class, they work by improving animal productivity and health. For example, protein and nitrogen are lost to microbes that live in the cow’s rumen.
Modifiers can help to prevent the microbes from using as much protein, thereby increasing its availability for the animal itself.
Can more additives lead to less emissions? We owe it to ourselves to find out
All of this research comes at a time when the stakes have never been higher. The clock is ticking on irreversible climate change and a population explosion that will stress the planet like never before.
Finding a way to make animal agriculture even more efficient has the potential to address both issues.
Can more additives lead to less emissions? We owe it to ourselves to find out.
Dr Frank Mitloehner is a professor and air quality specialist at University of California, Davis, focused on reducing greenhouse
gas emissions from cattle. He was invited to contribute a regular column to the Irish Farmers Journal.
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