Greener Cattle Initiative is Game Changer for Dairy’s Future

What is Enteric Methane & How Can It Be Managed?

Cows and other ruminant animals produce enteric methane as a natural part of their digestive process. Enteric methane is the largest single contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the beef and dairy sectors, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes that it is second only to burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat and transportation of all human activities.

Yet, we also know methane can be managed through research-based mitigation options that can help farmers on their longstanding journey of environmental stewardship. As climate regulations tighten and consumer expectations shift, farmers will need practical, cost-effective options to enhance their sustainability commitment.

This is why the Greener Cattle Initiative (GCI) stands out as a pioneering model of public-private collaboration to help the dairy industry achieve its sustainability goals through rigorous, science-based research that addresses environmental and economic challenges.

The Greener Cattle Initiative is the First International Consortium Dedicated to Developing Solutions

The checkoff-founded Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) jointly developed GCI as the first multi-partner, international consortium dedicated exclusively to mitigating enteric methane emissions from cattle.

By fostering collaboration between researchers, industry stakeholders and farmers, GCI accelerates the development of enteric methane mitigation technologies and practices that can transform the dairy sector. This collaborative approach ensures that mitigation options are not only effective but practical and tailored to dairy farmers’ diverse needs.

The initiative funds and facilitates research in five key research areas that will produce scalable, practical options for lowering methane from dairy and beef cattle:

• Dairy Cow Nutrition
• Rumen Microbiome
• Dairy Cow Genetics
• Sensing and Data Technology
• Socioeconomic Analysis

It’s important that GCI maintains the farmer perspective in its work and represents their voices and priorities. For example, it’s clear that options under investigation cannot have a negative impact on animal health or productivity, or product quality and safety. GCI also includes input from animal health, genetic, feed and nutrition research organizations and companies.

GCI is guided by a diverse steering committee of 11 organizations representing various positions in the dairy and beef supply chains. This inclusive approach ensures the steering committee has a wide range of expertise and perspectives, which is essential for addressing the complex issue of mitigating methane emissions. The committee’s role is to provide governance and scientific scope for GCI and is informed by a rigorous technical review process, ensuring that research proposals are scientifically sound and aligned with the initiative’s goals.

The Big Takeaways

So far, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, in both the first request for applications in 2022 and the second round announced earlier this year. This high level of interest underscores the urgency and importance of methane reduction research. In both cases, the strongest proposals advanced to a full technical review, evaluated by external academic experts for their scientific merit and feasibility.

Last year, thanks to increased stakeholder commitments, GCI exceeded its initial goal of $5 million invested in enteric methane mitigation research with awards totaling $7.2 million. This level of investment extends the reach of dairy farmers’ checkoff dollars and accelerates the efforts toward mitigating emissions to address the dairy sector’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.

The three awardees selected from more than 100 pre-proposal applications include:

• Penn State’s Distinguished Professor of Dairy Nutrition Dr. Alexander N. Hristov
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Animal Sciences Professor Dr. Roderick Mackie
• University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Assistant Professor of Quantitative Genomics, Dr. Francisco Peñagaricano

These researchers seek to test novel compounds, understand how mitigating methane emissions impacts cows’ biology, performance and health, and if selective breeding can result in cows that produce less enteric methane. Learn more about this research:

Greener Cattle Initiative Awards

The second round of GCI requests for applications currently underway reflects a more focused approach, emphasizing the identification of innovations to support technology delivery, examining the potential to combine mitigation options, and the long-term effectiveness of mitigation strategies. This is expected to yield more actionable insights and robust mitigation options with recipients seeking to begin their projects in 2025.

GCI’s model of collaboration and innovation offers a promising path toward more sustainable agricultural practices and a healthier planet. Engaging with and supporting GCI is not just an investment in environmental stewardship but also in the future resilience of the global food system.

For dairy farmers, GCI provides a pathway to sustainability and economic resilience. This research helps farmers discover and test cost-effective and scientifically validated solutions, allowing them to meet sustainability goals without compromising productivity.

More About the Greener Cattle Initiative

The Greener Cattle Initiative, launched by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, is the first consortium to share knowledge, leverage investments and accelerate research to develop scalable and commercially feasible solutions that reduce enteric methane emissions. The Greener Cattle Initiative includes stakeholders from across the dairy and beef value chains and supporting nonprofit organizations, including: ADM, the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), Elanco, Genus plc, JBS USA, the National Dairy Herd Information Association, Nestlé and the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre (NZAGRC). The Global Methane Hub and JBS USA have joined the consortium as steering committee members.

This article originally appeared in the August 31, 2024, issue of DairyBusiness.