Working With Farmers to Reduce Methane: Frank Mitloehner Shares a Path Forward

In a recent episode of the Hoards Dairyman Podcast, host Jenna Byrne sat down with Dr. Frank Mitloehner, professor and air quality specialist at UC Davis, to discuss the future of dairy sustainability and the evolving conversation around methane emissions.

A native of Germany, Mitloehner came to UC Davis more than 25 years ago after completing his Ph.D. at Texas Tech University. Today, he serves as chair of the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis, as well as being director of the CLEAR Center, and is one of the nation’s leading researchers on the environmental impacts of livestock production.

Byrne started off the podcast by asking how Mitloehner got into this field.

“I was always interested in the inter-relationships of animals and their environment and how animals are impacted by their environment,” Mitloehner said. 

One of the key points he emphasized is that methane differs significantly from carbon dioxide (CO2). 

“Methane is potent, it’s heat trapping more so than CO2. And that means is that when a methane molecule gets hit by a solar beam, it heats up and it traps the heat,” Mitloehner explained. “And approximately 30 times more so than one molecule of CO2. So, it's a potent greenhouse gas.” 

While methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, it has a relatively short lifespan in the atmosphere—about a decade—because it is naturally broken down. That creates a unique opportunity.

“If we can find ways to reduce methane, then we can reduce warming,” Mitloehner explained.

Mitloehner went onto outline why this is possible, “Because methane is not just produced but also destroyed, naturally destroyed. If we in addition to this natural destruction, lower methane, then we can get to a situation where we produce less methane than is naturally destroyed. If we reduce methane by 0.3% per year, then we will not generate any additional warming with the sector. If we reduce methane by more than 0.3% then we reduce warming. And this reduction, this annual reduction is very possible. I've seen it many times. And I think our entire sector will achieve it within the very near future”

Rather than viewing methane solely as a problem, Mitloehner encourages producers to see it as an opportunity. Methane represents energy that is currently being lost. On dairies, methane produced from manure can be captured using technologies such as anaerobic digesters. Once captured, the gas can be converted into renewable energy and transportation fuel.

California has become a global leader in this area. Mitloehner noted that the state is on track to reduce dairy methane emissions by roughly 40 percent, a goal few regions in the world have approached. Much of that progress has come from capturing methane from manure lagoons and turning it into renewable natural gas used to fuel trucks and buses.

The success, he said, stems from a unique approach. Rather than relying primarily on regulations and penalties, California has encouraged adoption through financial incentives. Programs that reward methane-reducing technologies have helped producers invest in solutions that both lower emissions and create new revenue streams.

“It’s what I call the carrot approach of financially incentivizing the use of technologies to reduce methane, “Mitloehner said to Byrne. “It’s much like they would incentivize you or me to buy an electric car to reduce emissions that give us a tax credit or putting solar panels on your roof in order to use less fossil power but more solar power much like they incentivize that in private citizens, they've done the same with our dairies by saying if you produce bio gas using a digester then you will get so-called low-carbon fuel standard credits or other credits and these credits help to generate a continuous income.”

Mitloehner added, “The best way of communicating that is by showing farms where it’s already being done. You take something that was a liability before and turn it into an asset.”

Beyond digesters, he described several other promising methane-reduction strategies, including feed additives, improved manure management, and even methane vaccines currently being explored by researchers in New Zealand.

He also highlighted another promising strategy: genetics. 

“It’s interesting to note that methane is a heritable trait, meaning the mama cow passes that trait on to the next generation. And in the future, there will be ways of identifying whether an animal is a high or low methane producing animal,” Mitloehner pointed out. “And then that animal can or cannot or shall not be used for breeding purposes. There are voices that feel that 30% of methane can be reduced herd wide by selecting for low-methane animals without negatively impacting performance.”

Mitloehner pointed out that finding practical, producer-friendly methane solutions remains a major focus of research and collaboration. He highlighted the annual State of the Science Summit at UC Davis, where roughly 300 international experts, industry leaders, researchers, stakeholders and students convene to share the latest findings on methane mitigation. The goal, he said, is to identify approaches that not only reduce emissions and help address climate concerns but also create financial incentives and opportunities for producers.

At the same time, Mitloehner cautioned against becoming too focused on a single metric. Sustainability efforts must consider animal welfare, water quality, air quality, and other environmental impacts to avoid unintended consequences.

“We need to think holistically,” Mitloehner said.

Throughout the conversation, Mitloehner repeatedly stressed the importance of working with farmers rather than against them.

“We need farmers,” he said. “No farmers, no food.”

He pointed to the economic realities facing agriculture, noting that many producers operate on slim margins while providing the food supply society depends on. Lasting environmental improvements, he argued, require solutions that are both environmentally effective and economically viable.

Looking ahead, Mitloehner remains optimistic about the future of animal agriculture. Consumer demand for nutrient-dense protein remains strong, and producers are increasingly embracing innovation and sustainability. Mitloehner also added that protein is having a moment. 

“Protein is center stage in people’s nutrition,” he said. “People want more protein and they understand that animal foods are nutrient dense, not just more or better protein, but there’s also this whole other package of nutrients associated with it. So the demand is there.”

He also encouraged farmers and ranchers to tell their stories more often.

“Don’t be the best-kept secret on the planet,” he said. “Be proud. Humble, but proud.”