In the past two years, methane emissions have come to the fore as a key opportunity to not only help slow the rise in global temperatures but potentially even cool our planet.
However, while governments and organizations worldwide have made significant global commitments to tackle methane emissions, many have largely overlooked a universally beneficial opportunity to address methane in food production.
Mounting evidence demonstrates that improvements in animal health can reduce methane emissions from livestock as well as improve animal welfare and meet rising demand for meat, milk and eggs.
Negotiators should, therefore, direct more attention and resources to the ready environmental gains made possible by veterinary research and medicine to accelerate the 30% emissions reduction targeted by the Global Methane Pledge made at COP26.
Methane from animal agriculture primarily comes from the digestive processes of ruminant livestock, including cattle and sheep. Illnesses like foot and mouth disease impact animals’ digestion and hold back healthy growth, so they fail to reach target weights. This means more animals are needed to maintain food supplies.
For instance, a single dairy cow producing 8,000 liters of milk a year produces fewer methane emissions than two cows that produce 4,000 liters each.
Protecting livestock from infection
Policies and initiatives that expand and enshrine access to veterinary medicines would immediately help reduce methane emissions simply by protecting livestock from infection, which is a win-win for all concerned.
A wide range of disease prevention tools already exist to keep animals healthy and minimize emissions, but they are not equally available or affordable around the world.
For example, parasiticides can protect sheep against gastrointestinal worms, which have been associated with a 33% increase in methane per kilogram of dry feed.
A combination of measures, including vaccination, plant-based compounds and antimicrobial peptides, can protect dairy cattle from mastitis, which has been linked to an 8% increase in methane emissions.
By committing to end trade protectionism for veterinary products, modernizing regulatory systems and increasing livestock health funding, governments can overcome the barriers to animal disease prevention and fully unlock the benefits of veterinary medicine for climate action.
While preventing disease in the first place offers the greatest potential to reduce emissions, other strategies that boost animal immunity can complement these efforts. For example, improving livestock feed and nutrition -- both in terms of quantity and quality -- has been shown to bring down the methane generated by animals in developed and emerging markets.
Access to quality feed
In the dry areas of sub-Saharan Africa, cattle kept by pastoralists produce disproportionately high levels of methane because a scarcity of feed makes their digestive systems less efficient. Ensuring that herders and pastoralists can access and afford quality feed for their animals would mean fewer emissions and healthier animals.
Meanwhile, research also suggests that certain additives used with animal feed can even inhibit methane production in the digestive system of cattle and reduce emissions by 30%.
Finally, in the longer term, there are positive signs that developments in livestock breeding and genetics can also reduce methane emissions from livestock farming. Including methane production in national breeding indices can help identify the species and traits with lower emissions, as demonstrated in the Netherlands, where selective breeding reduced methane intensity by 13%. By adding economic weight to methane production in the breeding goal, researchers estimate methane intensity will drop by 24% by 2050.
In Ireland, beef cattle with “low-emitting” genetics were found to emit an estimated 30% less methane per day, while private sector research showed that dairy cows with “superior genetics” were associated with 10% fewer methane emissions.
Striking common ground
By making veterinary research and innovation a priority within national climate strategies, countries can open up more investment for low-emission livestock, achieving goals for methane reduction as well as making a key food sector more sustainable.
While the global climate debate can often be contentious, improving animal health to minimize methane emissions can be a common ground for all.
Carel du Marchie Sarvaas is the director of Health for Animals, a global non-profit animal health association. A version of this article first appeared in Al Arabiya News and is being reprinted under special arrangement.
