Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters – When dairy farmer Ben Loewith’s calves are born next spring, they will be among the first in the world to be bred with a specific environmental goal: burping less methane. Loewith, a third-generation farmer in Lynden, Ont., in June started artificially inseminating 107 cows and heifers with the first-to-market bull semen with a […] Read more
The climate-friendly cows bred to belch less methane
Research conducted partially at the University of Alberta underpins the effort
Seaweed saviour? Marine algae touted as fix for cattle burps
Everyone’s hyped over GHG-fighting seaweed, but is it safe and does it make sense?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Cow burps continue to be headline news, with many — from Bill Gates to a Calgary startup — backing seaweed to save the planet from methane-belching cattle. But despite the hype, slipping a little seaweed into cattle feed is unproven science that needs more study, says one of the leading experts on the issue. “The […] Read more
Schoepp: Misconceptions about manure fly in face of common sense
It is a valuable commodity and using it as an energy source offers a host of benefits
Reading Time: 3 minutes Last month, the Guardian had an article on biogas titled ‘Brown gold: The great American manure rush begins.’ It seems I am not the only one to believe our regenerative future rests in water and manure. The story was about California dairy farmers entering into long-term contracts to sell their manure to the energy industry […] Read more
U.S. EPA proposes revamp of biofuel program to include EVs
Mandated biofuel levels to rise through 2025
New York | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration on Thursday unveiled a three-year proposal to expand the U.S. biofuels policy with bigger volume mandates and — for the first time — to include a pathway for electric vehicle manufacturers to generate lucrative credits. Biden wants to fight climate change by reducing fossil fuel […] Read more
Farm climate innovation commitments at COP27 double to US$8 billion
Agriculture could outpace other industries to net zero: Vilsack
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt | Reuters — An initiative led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates to help agriculture adapt to climate change and reduce emissions through innovation has doubled investment commitments to US$8 billion and extended its reach, it said on Friday. The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) was […] Read more
Schoepp: Pity the poor cow — bovine burps have so many in a tizzy
In the vast world of ruminants, cattle and their belching are getting an awful lot of attention
Reading Time: 3 minutes It might be a sensitive time to talk about wearing a mask, especially for the rest of a lifetime. That simply cannot be in the best interest of any living creature. However, this is exactly what is being proposed — and being developed — for cattle. The mask (developed by art students) covers the nostrils […] Read more
Schoepp: It’s time to dispel a key myth about cattle and greenhouse gases
We can reduce cattle emissions but the focus should be on the real source of atmospheric warming
Reading Time: 3 minutes On the small island of Meares off the West Coast of Canada there is a herd of wild cattle. They are a cross of Shorthorn, Hereford and Jersey and the offspring resemble a long-legged red and white calf. What is unique about these cattle is their diet. Just as the coastal wolves are fishing wolves, […] Read more
The reason why some cattle produce less methane
Research suggests emissions could be lowered by breeding for specific ‘microbial genes’
Reading Time: 2 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Methane-reducing feed ingredients have the potential to significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emitted by livestock. But so do breeding programs that focus on the DNA of an animal’s gut bacteria, says a U.K. researcher. Researchers at SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College) measure methane emissions and feed efficiency from cattle using respiration chambers. They […] Read more
Rotational grazing set to get a boost from climate action plan
Advocates say the system boosts profits and makes ranches more resilient to drought
Reading Time: 4 minutes Many farmers fear the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is going to cost them money. But a new federal program may assist livestock producers in upgrading to a grazing system that advocates say is more profitable and makes ranches more resilient. The federal government wants more cattle producers to adopt rotational grazing and is […] Read more
Burp-busting feed additive for cattle still a few years from approval
Alberta research has found 3-NOP works, but the path to regulatory approval is long
Reading Time: 3 minutes A new feed additive can reduce methane emissions in beef and dairy cattle, but unfortunately, it’s not available in North America yet and won’t be for some time. The feed additive, called 3-nitrooxypropanol (or 3-NOP for short), is a methane-inhibiting compound created by Dutch company DSM Nutritional Products. “It’s quite well researched in dairy and beef […] Read more
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