Does research show that feeding cows seaweed can cut methane emissions?
By Por Jaijongkit at The Colorado Sun
YES
A recent study found that adding red seaweed to cattle feed could decrease methane emissions from cows by up to 90%, but researchers say further testing is necessary to make sure it’s safe and effective.
Methane is a byproduct of cattle digestion and enters the atmosphere through cow burps and flatulence, and when manure is applied on fields. The compound bromoform in red seaweed inhibits enzymes that microbes in cow stomachs use to create methane. More study is needed to ensure bromoform is safe for cattle and people, researchers say. And new methods of producing red seaweed may be necessary to make it cheaper and more available.
Agricultural emissions make up 10.4% of Colorado’s greenhouse gas emissions. Over half of agricultural emissions come from livestock, with methane from digestion accounting for nearly 80% of those emissions.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
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Sources
- National Library of Medicine Potential of Seaweeds to Mitigate Production of Greenhouse Gases during Production of Ruminant Proteins
- Colorado Air Pollution Control Division 2023 Colorado Statewide Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks
- Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Diana Reyes Gomez: Harnessing red seaweed to reduce cow methane emissions
- Environmental Protection Agency Agriculture and Aquaculture: Food for Thought
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