Food and consumer goods (FCG) companies will face mounting pressure in the coming years to reduce their methane emissions in the fight to halt climate change.
Methane is significantly more potent than carbon dioxide (CO₂) when it comes to warming the planet, and governments will ramp up regulatory efforts to restrict it. To get ahead of this hurdle, agribusinesses and consumer companies should start investigating and investing in methane-reducing technology. Technologies making their way up the pipeline at the moment include alternative feeds, vaccines, and masks.
Livestock agriculture produces massive amounts of climate-busting methane
Methane is a greenhouse gas that is approximately 85 times more effective than CO₂ at trapping heat over a 20-year period. Many countries around the world have recognized methane reduction as one of the most effective strategies to keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees within reach. FCG companies and agribusinesses will be particularly important for achieving a significant reduction in methane.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 40% of global methane emissions come from ruminant livestock such as dairy and beef cattle. Cows have four stomach compartments. One of these—the rumen—partially digests and ferments food. In the rumen, microbes called methanogens ferment food through a process called methanogenesis. This is an anaerobic reaction that combines hydrogen and carbon dioxide to produce methane. The gas is expelled into the atmosphere when the cow belches, warming the atmosphere up to 85 times more than CO₂.
Regulation focused on reducing methane emissions has ramped up in recent years
In 2020, the European Union released its methane strategy, announcing that it would be working to improve measurement and reporting of methane emissions as well as reviewing relevant legislation. In May 2024, the EU announced new legislation aiming to curb methane emissions from the energy sector.
In the future, legislation will likely be drafted to restrict agricultural methane emissions. This regulation may be similar to current laws around carbon emission reporting and trading, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive or the EU’s Emissions Trading System. Either way, FCG companies and agribusinesses are likely to be heavily impacted and should start to mitigate their methane emissions now.
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By GlobalDataNovel technologies could prove key to reducing emissions
There are several exciting methane reduction technologies in the development pipeline, including alternative feeds, vaccines, and masks.
Alternative feeds are non-traditional food sources that replace or supplement livestock food sources like hay or grasses. They reduce gas emissions by altering the microbial processes in the stomachs of ruminant animals, inhibiting the activity of methanogen microorganisms.
One example of methane-inhibiting alternative feed is Bovaer, a feed additive developed by DSM-Firmenich that reduces enteric methane emissions. DSM-Firmenich claims that only a quarter of a teaspoon of Bovaer per cow per day will reduce emissions by up to 30% for dairy cows and 45% for beef cattle. The additive was approved for use in the US in May 2024 and in the UK in January 2024.
The problem with Bovaer and other feed additives like it is that it must be present in every mouthful of livestock food. If this is not the case, it cannot consistently inhibit methanogens in the rumen and prevent methanogenesis.
Vaccines
Vaccines are another potential solution to ruminant livestock’s runaway emissions. Methane vaccines aim to provide a long-term solution by modifying the animal’s biological processes rather than just adding a substance to their diet.
This technology is still in its infancy, with vaccines still being developed and tested. At present, there are no methane vaccines approved for commercial use.
Masks
A third novel approach to reducing emissions in livestock agriculture is masks. UK agritech start-up Zelp is developing a methane-mitigating mask for cows to wear. The mask sits by the cow’s nostrils, meaning it can monitor all exhalation and belches.
When the sensor detects exhaled methane, the mask captures and oxidizes the gas, releasing carbon dioxide and water instead. While CO₂ is still a GHG, its atmospheric warming potential is less than methane’s. Studies have found that Zelp’s mask does not impact cow’s feeding behaviour.
While these technologies are not yet widely used in livestock agriculture, their potential to protect FCG companies from future climate regulation is massive. Investigating and investing quickly will prove a massive advantage in the coming years.
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