Feeding Cows Seaweed Could Reduce Methane Emissions Significantly, Study Finds

Sweden has been investigating the use of feed additives for cows to reduce methane. A new report by the country’s Environmental Protection Agency found that the chemical 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) and red algae seaweed are two of the additives “with higher potential.”

Adding red algae to the feed of farm animals each day could reduce methane emissions by as much as 90 percent, according to manufacturers, as The Guardian reported.

However, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency said additional investigation was needed.

“More research and analysis is required both in terms of today’s marketed products and to develop alternative, future feed additives,” the report said.

In the European Union, 3-NOP was approved for dairy cows early last year. According to the report, the chemical can reduce methane emissions by about 30 percent on average in dairy cows and by 45 percent in cattle raised for consumption by humans.

The ability of seaweed fed to cows to keep microorganisms in their first stomach from producing the greenhouse gas was first discovered by Australian researchers.

The Swedish study recommended that the government commission further investigation into the potential of additives in feed to reduce methane. They advised more collaboration, research, initiatives to encourage innovation and support for farmers. The report also recommended looking at breeds’ genetic variations.

The extra costs of additives for feed would be a big expense for farmers.

“We were happy with the proposal for financial compensation for farmers to invest in methane-reducing feed additives in the report and we will support the government to turn this proposal into reality,’’ said Cora Taylor, business developer at land-based seaweed factory Volta Greentech, as Volta Greentech posted on Medium.

Animal digestion is responsible for about 70 percent of the methane emissions produced in Sweden.

“We believe that this [methane-reducing feed additives] can be a measure to reduce the methane from cattle in Sweden. We don’t have very many other measures that can have this [effect] within current production level. But we also believe it’s still quite new and there’s still more research to be done before we can really come in with a clear policy measure,” said climate analyst Emma Carlen, who works at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, as reported by The Guardian.

A seaweed factory to make cattle feed is being developed on Sweden’s west coast by Volta Greentech. Pilot projects by the company at two farms in Sweden had been able to reduce methane emissions by cows by 80 percent a day, said co-founder and CEO of the company Fredrik Åkerman.

Volta Greentech has plans for a pilot project at a UK commercial beef farm next year.

“We have developed a strategy that makes cows burp and fart less methane emissions. So the additive is included into the cow feed and we have now been able, in several commercial pilot projects, to reduce 80% of emissions per day that the cows emit, which is of course making a big positive impact on climate change and agriculture,” Åkerman said, as The Guardian reported.