This unlikely ingredient can reduce meat emissions by up to 90%

Asparagopsis Taxiformis,, a delicate red algae native to tropical waters around the world first caught the attention of livestock scientists a few years ago. This particular species of algae is rich in bioactive compounds that inhibit the formation of methane in gastric microbes, making it a potentially useful feed additive for carbonated cows.

Hermias Kebreab, Ph.D. a professor in the Department of Animal Husbandry in Davis, is a researcher who tests algae in the lab. After his first trial of feeding live animals, he was surprised to find that a few weeks of spraying this supplement into cows’ feed could reduce their emissions by up to 67 percent.

During a recent TED Countdown talk at a summit that brought together leaders in the climate solutions industry, Kebreab told the audience that he initially thought the results were too good to be true. But after repeating the experiment of feeding in the laboratory, this time for nearly a year, the numbers only become more convincing. In another study outside Australia, algae resulted in a 98.9% reduction in methane emissions. “That kind of reduction,” Kebreab told an excited crowd, “is just stunning.” (Other livestock supplements that have been tested on garlic, citrus fruits and lemongrass typically reduce emissions by an average of about 30%.)

Because algae are so concentrated, it doesn’t take many of them – less than 1% of the feed – to get these impressive benefits. With such a small volume, the additive does not appear to harm the cows in any way or to affect the taste of the meat or dairy products obtained. “It’s a profit for the environment, it’s a profit for farmers and consumers,” Kebreab said.

But all these discoveries came from a laboratory – can they actually survive on the farm? According to a new study of cows at Straus Family Creamery in Marin County, the first commercial trial in the United States, the answer is a resounding yes. Not only did 24 dairy cows eat the red seaweed supplement, but they also reduced their methane emissions by an average of 52 percent – and by as much as 90 percent – in the process.

The next stop for this promising climate solution may be your local meat counter, but first we need to figure out how to grow it fast enough.