Breeding Less Farty Cows Could Help Address Global Warming by Reducing Methane Emissions, Study Reveals

According to a new study, breeding cattle that fart less could help cut down greenhouse gas emissions and curb global warming.

Cows and Climate Change

Livestock farming makes up roughly 10% of greenhouse gas emissions, and food production is one of the world's leading causes of climate change. Cow farts and burps, as well as the management of their manure, significantly fuel global warming.

Every year, just one cow could release roughly 220 pounds of methane. While methane from cows lives shorter than CO2, it is 28 times more potent in atmospheric warming, as explained by air quality specialist and professor Frank Mitloehner from the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis.

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Cows That Fart Less Could Help Curb the Problem

According to the study "Meta-Analysis and Ranking of the Most Effective Methane Reduction Strategies for Australia's Beef and Dairy Sector," turning farmlands into wetlands or forests would be most effective for methane reduction. Nevertheless, the study also shows that breeding cows that fart less could also be worth the try.

Merideth Kelliher, an author of the study, shares that, for instance, altering what is covered in breeding objectives could permanently reduce the production of methane. She adds that studies have discovered that low-emission cattle have inheritable traits that can significantly reduce the production of methane if they are included in breeding objectives at a national scale.

Kelliher notes that further research is necessary to determine the breeding traits that will produce cattle with lower methane emissions.

Other strategies that could emerge from these research efforts include discovering ways for cows to mature faster, feeding them more grains than grass, enhancing wastewater management in beef processing plants offering ozonated water, and adding seaweeds, legumes, or other compounds to cattle feeds.

Dora Marinova, a co-author of the study and a Curtin Professor of Sustainability, explains that this analysis is the first of its kind and is crucial, considering how it increases with the demand for dairy and beef products.

Potty Training Cattle

In the past, researchers have tried to potty train cattle to curb the impacts of cow urine, which contains ammonia. When ammonia gets mixed with soil, it turns into nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas.

In 2021, scientists successfully trained dairy cows to use MooLoo, a special type of pen, for their business. They encouraged the cattle to pee on AstroTurf without harming the environment.

If the cattle used the pen, they were given sugar water. However, if they urinated outside, they were sprayed with water for three seconds.

The cows were quick to adapt to the new habit. 11 out of 16 of them learned how to use the pen. Douglas Elliffe, one of the researchers, shares that if they could gather 10% or 20% of their pee, it would be enough to reduce nitrate leaching and greenhouse gas emissions significantly.