Canada to Offer Incentives to Beef Cattle Farms to Lower Methane Emissions

Methane emissions are more than 28 times more potent at trapping atmospheric heat than carbon dioxide, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

In 2021, 31 percent of the total methane emissions produced by Canada came from agriculture, most of which were from the fermentation of food in the stomachs of beef and dairy cattle, released into the air through their burps — a process called enteric methane emission, a press release from the Government of Canada said.

According to the Canadian government, the country has introduced the draft Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions from Beef Cattle (REME protocol) under Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System — economic incentives for cattle farms to lower methane emissions from cows.

The new draft protocol will give farmers incentives to make changes to reduce methane emissions from beef cattle and get back offset credits that they are able to sell to generate revenue.

“Canadian farmers have become frontline champions for climate action by harnessing the power of sustainable agriculture. The newest draft protocol under Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System not only addresses agricultural greenhouse gases, but will provide a financial benefit for Canadian farmers. This is an opportunity for farmers to implement practical solutions to reduce agricultural methane emissions, generate revenue, and harvest a greener future for all,” said the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Honourable Steven Guilbeault in the press release.

The Greenhouse Gas Offset Credit System gives Indigenous communities, farmers, foresters, municipalities and others developing projects in sectors like forestry, agriculture, waste and advanced technology an incentive to take on domestic projects that lower the greenhouse gas emissions that are the main driver of climate change.

The new protocol will encourage the reduction of these methane emissions by beef cattle farms with improved management diets and other methods concerning more efficient animal growth.

The process might also reduce the nitrous oxide and methane emissions in manure, reported Reuters.

For every 1.1 tons of emissions reductions a farm will get one credit, the press release said. The credits can be sold to facilities for use in meeting their emissions reduction obligations or to meet the low-carbon commitments of other businesses.

“This initiative would ensure our ranchers benefit from the methane emissions reductions they achieve from their herds — that’s a win for the environment and for farmers,” said Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay in the press release.

In developing the REME protocol, the Canadian government consulted with technical agricultural experts. It is one of a host of government measures to assist with decarbonization of the agricultural sector. For example, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced an investment of $12 million last month in the Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge. The challenge gives funding to innovators who advance scalable and low-cost practices, technologies and processes designed to reduce the enteric methane emissions of cattle.

“By working together with our farmers and ranchers, we can drive economic growth, keep the sector competitive, and put more money back into the pockets of our farmers, all while fighting climate change,” MacAulay said.