Reducing Cow Methane Emissions
By harnessing natural variation in animal digestion, the project aims to establish a new standard in livestock breeding, making it easier for farmers to reduce their environmental impact without incurring significant costs or changes to their practices.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has received a $2.3 million grant to research and develop low-methane breeding techniques for beef cattle, aiming to reduce methane emissions from livestock, a significant contributor to global warming.
The project, backed by the Bezos Earth Fund and the Global Methane Hub, will focus on collecting and analyzing methane data to understand the role of genetics in methane production. The goal is to identify and breed cattle with naturally lower methane emissions by 2030, with the potential to establish reference populations of 20,000-50,000 animals. This approach does not require changes in feeding practices or infrastructure, making it accessible to farmers.
The effort is part of a broader international collaboration to make methane efficiency a standard in livestock breeding. The project will screen over 100,000 animals and integrate findings into breeding programs to deliver long-term climate benefits. Selecting and breeding lower-emitting animals can lead to permanent reductions in climate impact, with the potential to reduce methane emissions by 1-2% annually, adding up to a 30% reduction over two decades.
The initiative has the potential to make a significant impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's research will play a crucial role in achieving this goal. With the global livestock industry being a significant contributor to methane emissions, this project could be a major step towards a more sustainable future.