This Unlikely Ingredient Could Reduce Emissions From Gassy Cows By Up To 90% - mindbodygreen.com

Asparagopsis Taxiformis, a delicate red seaweed native to tropical waters around the world, first caught the attention of livestock scientists a few years ago. This particular type of seaweed is rich in bioactive compounds that inhibit stomach microbes from forming methane, making it a potentially beneficial feed additive for gassy cows.

Ermias Kebreab, Ph.D. a professor at UC Davis Department of Animal Science, is one researcher who has been putting the seaweed to the test in the lab. After his first live animal feeding trial, he was surprised to find that a few weeks of sprinkling this additive into cows' feed could reduce their emissions by up to 67 percent.

During a recent talk at TED Countdown, a summit that gathered industry leaders over climate solutions, Kebreab told the audience that at first, he thought these results were too good to be true. But after repeating the feeding trial in the lab again, this time for nearly a year, the numbers only become more compelling. And in another trial out of Australia, the seaweed led to a 98.9% reduction in methane emissions. "That kind of reduction," Kebreab told an excited crowd, "is simply staggering." (Other livestock supplements that have been tested from garlic, citrus, and lemongrass usually cut emissions by around 30% on average.)

Since the seaweed is so concentrated, it doesn't take much of it—less than 1% of feed—to get these impressive benefits. At such a low volume, the additive doesn't seem to harm the cows in any way or impact the taste of the resulting meat or dairy. "It's a win for the environment, it's a win for the farmers, and the consumers," Kebreab said.

But these findings all came out of a lab—can they actually hold up on the farm? According to new research on cows at Straus Family Creamery in Marin County, the first commercial trial in the United States, the answer is a resounding yes. Not only did 24 dairy cows eat up the red seaweed supplement, but they also reduced their methane emissions by an average of 52 percent—and as much as 90 percent—in the process.

The next stop for this promising climate solution could be your local meat counter, but first, we just need to figure out how to grow it fast enough.

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This Unlikely Ingredient Could Reduce Emissions From Gassy Cows By Up To 90% - mindbodygreen.com
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