Canada’s dairy farms are set to go whole hog on specially-bred cows whose burps would emit less methane—a world first.
By using a rigorous process of genetic selection, Semex, the company providing semen from ‘low-methane-emitting’ bulls, claims emissions by Canada’s dairy industry could drop 20-30% by 2050.
Researchers from the University of Guelph and the University of Alberta examined methane-emission data from the Holstein Friesian breed of cattle on 6,000 farms— about 60% of all Canada’s dairy farms.
The data was then compared with the animals’ genetic data and milk samples. Over seven years of this research resulted in a large data set, released earlier this year.
Selecting for the low methane trait could lock in lower and lower emissions for successive generations, said professor of animal biosciences at the University of Guelph and co-researcher Christine Baes.
Baes added that with all that “genomic information,” they could “match those up and create almost a telephone book to say, ‘this animal has these genes and produces this much methane’.”
Baes clarified that methane emissions from Canadian dairy cows vary widely, from 250 to 750 grams per day.
Dairy cows, and livestock in general, have been pointed to as a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, as they burp methane, the second-biggest greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.
The livestock sector is currently responsible for some 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions, though this is for meat and dairy consumption combined, as dairy cows emit far more greenhouse gasses than those used for meat.
The project has not been rolled out in Canada exclusively, however. The farmer-owned Semex, which claims to be “the fastest growing company in today’s genetic solution market,” offers its products worldwide.
This spring, the company began marketing semen with the low-methane trait in 80 countries. Early adopters include a farm in Britain as well as dairies in the U.S. and Slovakia.
Ben Loewith, a Canadian cattle breeder, had 107 of his cows fertilized with the Semex semen last month. “Selectively breeding for lower emissions, as long as we’re not sacrificing other traits, seems like an easy win,” he said.
Frank Mitloehner, professor of animal science at the University of California Davis, said the method could have a “profound impact” on cattle emissions globally.
Other dairy experts are less convinced about the approach taken.
Juha Nousiainen, senior vice president at Valio, a Finnish dairy, warned that breeding cattle for the express purpose of emitting less methane could make them more susceptible to digestive problems.
Methane is produced by microbes in the cow’s gut as it digests fiber, not by the animal itself, he added, thereby casting doubt on whether there even is such a thing as a low-methane-producing gene and, as a result, on the foundation the research was built upon.
While the government currently does not incentivise low-methane cattle breeding, Canada’s agriculture department has stated that Ottawa is working to introduce offset credits for reducing methane through better manure management.
Some countries, like New Zealand, have taken more drastic measures. Starting in 2025, its livestock farmers will be taxed based on the level of estimated methane emissions.
Others, like Ireland, are taking it one step further. In order for the country to meet its climate change targets, last June, the Irish government proposed to cull its dairy herd by 10%, or about 65,000 cows a year, for three years, sparking protests from Irish farmers.
