Seaweed Cow Feed

Methane production from livestock accounts for up to one-third of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. So researchers in Australia have been looking at alternative feeds to reduce the source of all that gas – burping. As early as 2016, they found that, when added as a supplement to a typical diet at levels of less than 5 percent, a strand of seaweed called Asparagopsis taxiformis could reduce methane production in milk cows by up to 95 percent by reducing the microbes in their stomachs that cause them to burp.

More recent studies are being conducted in beef steer to determine whether similar results can be obtained. In addition, further research is underway to see if seaweed additives affect the quality of the milk or steaks coming from the animals, and whether the compounds can be made shelf-stable when exposed to heat or light. They are also looking at ways to sustainably produce A. taxiformis and maximize the concentration of the chemicals that produce the desired effect.

Although the overall reduction in greenhouse gas emissions sounds incrementally small, it is estimated that methane warms the earth up to 86 times as much as carbon dioxide. In other words, burp-free cows could have a big effect on climate change in the long term.