Methane’s Effect
Methane is over 80 times* more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat within 100 years and is responsible for nearly a quarter of man-made global warming.
*IPCC AR5
An Innovative Seaweed Solution
In 2014, researchers at CSIRO and James Cook University demonstrated that feeding ruminant animals a diet incorporating small amounts of red seaweed reduced their methane enteric emissions by as much as 99 percent. Of over 20 different seaweeds tested, just one species, Asparagopsis taxiformis, stood out for its extraordinary effectiveness.
Following the initial discovery, CSIRO and other universities have replicated and built on and these findings for both meat and dairy. Published peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated:
Unprecedented reductions — A 0.4% feed inclusion of AT seaweed resulted in a 98% reduction in enteric CH4 emissions over a 90-day feed period in beef cattle.
Significantly improved productivity — The average daily weight gain of steers fed AT seaweed increased by 42% and FCR improved by 35% over a 90-day feeding period.
Product quality was unaffected — No changes in milk, meat, or product quality attributes occurred. No residual bromoforms were detected in product, tissue or manure.
Farming Asparagopsis Seaweed
Translating this discovery into a global climate solution will require large scale AT cultivation. The world is home to approximately 1.5 billion cattle and 1.2 billion sheep, requiring an estimated 100 million wet tons of Asparagopsis taxiformis. In 2015, just 30 million tons of seaweed were farmed globally. None of it was of Asparagopsis taxiformis.
HOW WE’RE TAKING ON THE CHALLENGE
Greener Grazing™ is developing robust new methods to close the life cycle of Asparagopsis taxiformis and cultivate it at scale.
