Cows fed small amount of seaweed burp 86 per cent less methane in trial
Posted 4
updated 4
MarMarch 2021 at 1:41am
Cattle methane was reduced by as much as 86 per cent when their diets were subsidised with seaweed.
(
Share
Print text only
Cancel
Feeding cattle a small amount of a seaweed species found in Australia has been shown to reduce their methane emissions by up to 86 per cent.
Key points:
Red seaweed contains a compound that can reduce the production of methane
Proponents say it could be the equivalent of removing 100 million cars from the road if adopted by the agriculture industry
Some scientists warn the side effects of eating red seaweed on a large scale could include the production of ozone-depleting gas
We have reached a stage where anyone that speaks up for Irish livestock is in danger of being intimidated into silence by condemnation and personalised attacks. But we must let facts emerge. The highly regarded Australian research institute – CSIRO – has just been awarded the million dollar Food Planet prize for their ground-breaking work on feeding a variety of seaweed to cattle to reduce their methane production by about 95%. The recognition of this work by the director of the German Potsdam Institute for climate impact research, as well as the Swedish Stockholm Resilience Centre, both of whom were on the judging panel, should send a clear message that methane emissions in bovines can be controlled by diet.
Australian super seaweed supplement to reduce cattle gas emissions wins $1m international prize
FriFriday 18
updated
FriFriday 18
The CSIRO worked for a decade to find and refine the perfect emission-busting seaweed.
(
Print text only
Cancel
A company commercialising a CSIRO-developed, seaweed feed product, which slashes the amount of greenhouse gases cattle burp and fart into the atmosphere, has won a $1 million international prize for its work reshaping the food system.
Key points:
Methane emissions from livestock make up about 15 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions
A CSIRO-developed seaweed product that reduces greenhouse gases produced by cattle has won a $1 million international prize
Date Time
Million-dollar Food Planet Prize awarded to CSIRO innovation
FutureFeed, a livestock feed made from seaweed that reduces methane emissions in beef and dairy cattle by more than 80 per cent has been awarded the world’s largest monetary reward on the global food arena.
The Food Planet Prize recognises initiatives, organisations and individuals working to secure the world´s food supply while fostering a healthy and resilient biosphere.
Awarded by the Curt Bergfors Foundation, 2020 marks the launch of The Food Planet Prize; four awards, each including US $1 million, for efforts to reshape the food system.
To be impactful and to contribute to a sustainable and resilient food system, the solutions must be implementable reasonably fast and on a large, preferably global, scale.
Adding asparagopsis - a type of seaweed - to feed will block most methane emitted by cows, scientists say washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.