![Latest reports on reducing methane emissions [World News]](https://foodcom.pl/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Foodcom_World_News_Dairy-1520x760.jpg "Latest reports on reducing methane emissions [World News]")
- Research into reducing methane emissions is being carried out all over the world, with a number of recent studies by Swiss researchers.
- A popular feed additive potentially reducing methane production by cattle is biocarbon, but studies have not confirmed its positive impact in this area.
- There are promising studies on local plants from Africa, more specifically from Ethiopia, which can influence reduced methane emissions by cattle.
- Hopes are particularly pinned on the plants’ condensed tannin content.
The unproven effect of biocarbon
Research is still being carried out around the world on reducing methane emissions. Large quantities of this gas are released due to cattle farming or agriculture. Recently, biocarbon has been gaining in popularity as an additive to improve soil quality by absorbing carbon dioxide, as well as an additive for cattle feed. The substance is said to improve animal health and reduce methane emissions. However, a recent study in Switzerland showed that the results are not so obvious. The study lasted 36 days and involved eight cows on a conventional diet and with a 1% addition of biocarbon. It tried to prove that the addition of biocarbon reduces methane production in the cows‘ intestines, improves the animals’ digestion and overall health, as well as milk quality. However, no significant effect of biocarbon on the parameters studied was found.
Plant from Ethiopia a hope for reducing methane emissions
However, Swiss scientists from SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), in collaboration with researchers from Ethiopia, have discovered that feeding animals with local plants significantly reduces methane emissions. Plants such as Trifolium acaule and Acacia nilotica may be particularly useful in this context. In addition, methane production was also found to be reduced by feeding cattle some of the post-industrial waste, particularly from beer production . Many of the plants studied contain condensed tannins (CT), which inhibit methane production during the digestive processes of livestock, indicating the potential of these polyphenols to further adapt cattle diets and reduce methane emissions.
