From cow burps to cow feces, it’s sparked an ongoing discussion over how much methane animals release and if it can be decreased. Dairy producers in the United States are already taking efforts to minimize emissions as global dairy businesses set a new objective of tracing and reducing emissions. Ongoing research is also assisting dairy farms in reducing their emissions even more.
The numbers continue to be inconsistent. According to UC Davis experts, cows and other ruminants account for just 4% of all greenhouse emissions emitted in the United States. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations maintains that livestock is responsible for around 30% of worldwide anthropogenic methane emissions. Although estimates vary, livestock accounts for the bulk of methane emissions in agriculture, and efforts to make livestock more sustainable are currently underway.
Reuters reports that advocacy organizations have said that combating livestock methane should be a top goal at this year’s COP28 session. Furthermore, during this week’s meeting in Dubai, six of the world’s leading dairy corporations forged a cooperation to reduce methane emissions from dairy cows.
According to Reuters, the Dairy Methane Action Alliance’s members include Danone, Bel Group, General Mills, Lactalis USA, Kraft Heinz, and Nestle. According to the Alliance, it will begin reporting methane emissions in mid-2024 and will develop methane action plans by the end of that year.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota may have a head start, since they’ve already discovered a technique to lower those emissions by up to half, and the key to change may be in what the cows consume.
“One of the questions we’re trying to answer is, can we reduce methane emissions in dairy cows?” says Brad Heins, animal science professor of dairy production systems at the University of Minnesota.
The research is centered on feeding red seaweed to dairy cows to minimize methane emissions. According to Heins, the most efficient seaweed discovered by researchers is red seaweed found off the coast of Hawaii.
“We’re feeding it to cows to reduce methane emissions, and we hope to see at least a 40% to 50% reduction in methane of dairy cows,” Heins said. He believes the preliminary findings are encouraging. “There’s maybe some indication that it’s working,” he said. “We’re not quite sure on the numbers yet, but the project is still ongoing.”
According to Heins, the quantity of methane lowered varies depending on the time as well as the kind of dairy cow. “One thing that we’ve learned is that methane is quite variable in cows,” he said. “In the morning, cows are low, and in the evening, they are high.” It’s all about feeding times. And we’re discovering that there may be some changes in methane emissions across dairy cow breeds.”
A Little Goes a Long Way
According to Heins, University of Minnesota researchers have shown that feeding a very modest quantity of red seaweed may help lower methane emissions by up to half. “It’s actually still normal feed with a little bit of that mixed in,” Heins said. “Per cow, it’s less than an ounce per day.” So it’s a very minimal quantity that we give to cows.”
Early Results Look Good
While the first results are encouraging, the team is presently working with dairy producers from around Minnesota to validate their findings.
“We work with farmers on a variety of issues, such as grazing plans and how to feed their cows more efficiently.” “We’re collaborating with them on environmentally sustainable goals to improve dairy production in Minnesota,” Heins adds.
What the University of Minnesota researchers discovered may be a viable alternative that does not need big adjustments. So far, the effort has shown remarkable potential with significant outcomes, demonstrating that dairy producers can contribute to a sustainable solution.
“Our goal is to help reduce methane emissions in cows, improve the overall environmental sustainability of the dairy industry in Minnesota, and we think we’ll be able to achieve that,” Heins said.
