Methane

Safe and effective? Bovaer goes on trial

Safe and effective? Bovaer goes on trial

By Frank Mitloehner

While many Americans were enjoying U.S. Thanksgiving late in 2024 and the official kickoff to the December holidays, food and culture arguments were raging across the pond. Consumers, farmers and influencers were bashing Arla Foods’ use of 3-NOP (under the brand name Bovaer) in milk production. The key questions that emerged: Do we really need to worry about methane emissions from cattle, and if so, is Bovaer a safe way to chip away at those emissions?

A panel discussion on stage at the Thrive Global Summit

Dr. Mitloehner Discusses Reducing Methane Emissions at Silicon Valley Summit

  • by Tracy Sellers

Solving big climate challenges across the agriculture industry requires technology, innovation and discussion, all of which were part of the recent THRIVE Global Impact Summit in the Silicon Valley. The event attracted entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders from the realms of agriculture and food technology, brought together to explore topics such as regenerative agriculture, clean energy, and climate change.

Why Do Cattle Produce Methane, and What Can We Do About it?

Why Do Cattle Produce Methane, and What Can We Do About it?

Cattle are special animals that consume foods such as grasses and hays that humans can’t digest, taking those pieces of energy and turning them into milk and meat that nourish people. In the process, part of the energy cows eat results in the production of methane that is belched out the front end of the animal. That’s a conundrum.
Cows on a misty morning near a tree

International Panel of Scientists Puts GWP* to Test

Quick Facts:
  • A new paper published in Animal: The International Journal of Animal Biosciences puts GWP* to the test in real-life scenarios. The authors, all internationally known and well-regarded climate scientists, physicists, animal scientist and air quality specialists, use six case studies to compare GWP* to GWP100 and demonstrate the effect various scenarios may have on global warming using each matrix.
Cover image of FAO Methane Report

A Summary of the UN FAO Methane Emissions in Livestock and Rice Systems

The United Nations estimates the world’s population will reach 9.7 billion people by 2050, with the greatest growth occurring in economically less developed countries and regions. Naturally, as the population rises, so will the demand for food. However, along with a population boom, the planet is knee-deep in a climate crisis, and there is a critical need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions before it’s too late.

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Dairy Cow in greenhouse gas emissions measurement head chamber

A new study from Dr. Frank Mitloehner’s lab at UC Davis looks at reducing enteric methane using essential oils

  • by CLEAR Center Staff

Whether or not you subscribe to the ability of essential oils to ease your stress, lighten your mood or give you a feeling of calm, it’s worth taking a look at how some of them are being used as feed additives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions of cattle. A team at University of California, Davis, under the leadership of Frank Mitloehner, Ph.D., published a paper in October 2020, studying Agolin® Ruminant (AGO) and its ability to do just that. The Mitloehner Lab found an 11 percent reduction in methane intensity.

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