South America’s leader in beef exports, Minerva, made a major announcement recently when it said they had initial results reducing methane emissions in cattle by over 50%. The company partnered with Rumin8, an Australian company whose website says they are “an agriculture-focused climate tech company, using cutting edge technology to create cost effective additives which reduce methane emissions from livestock.” Together, the two companies are pushing the partnership between Brazil and Australia’s beef industries.
Rumin8’s mission is to decarbonize 100 million cattle by the year 2030, which would reduce Australia’s total annual carbon emissions by 40%. The company’s CEO, David Messina, says cattle contribute 3.7% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions each year. By reducing the 40% emissions, this would remove 200 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“The cow is not the enemy, it’s the methane itself and we need to solve that problem,” says Messina in a promotional video. The company developed a feed and water additive called tribromomethane, which inhibits the enzymes that finalize methane production in microbes.
According to a news release, Rumin8 partnered with Minerva and created two trials that mimicked Brazil’s feedlot system. A 120-day study evaluated enteric methane emissions and productive performance in Nellore bulls. In the first group, 80 head of cattle were fed in individual pens to allow precise measurement of feed intake and methane emissions. This group was divided into a control group receiving a total mixed ration of 12% roughage and 88% concentrate with ground corn as the primary ingredient. The other group received the same diet supplemented with the additive.
Results showed a 50.4% reduction in methane emissions and a statistically significant 5% improvement in feed conversion efficiency compared with cattle fed the same diet without the additive, according to the news release. The statement also touts lower feed consumption, but no data was quoted in the release. Independent verification is now underway.
A second group of 200 Nellore bulls was the fed the additive in collective pens to simulate commercial-scale operational conditions.
“This study highlights the potential of innovation and collaboration between industry, science and technology to address one of the most pressing challenges on the livestock sector’s climate agenda,” said a Minerva Foods spokesperson. “Reducing methane emissions is a strategic priority for advancing more sustainable cattle production, and initiatives like this help accelerate solutions that combine productivity and environmental responsibility.”
Minerva is South America’s largest beef exporter and touts that they process more than 54,000 head per day. They export to over 100 countries including Asia, Europe and yes, the U.S. They operate 26 slaughter and processing plants in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Columbia and Argentina. According to an article by PR Newswire, Minerva’s revenue increased year over year by 59.7% to $11.6 billion, with 60% of that revenue coming from exports. Net income for the company came in at $170.8 million.
One thing to note is that research on tribromomethane is still young. A major source for bromomethane is found in seaweed. According to San Jose State University, the incorporation of seaweed in livestock feed has been shown to significantly reduce methane production during cattle digestion. The primary active ingredient in seaweed that is thought to be responsible for this effect is called bromoform, a volatile gas emitted by all macroalgae and which is involved in atmospheric ozone depletion.
Additionally, a new “low-emissions” wool product was launched recently in New York, where wool from seaweed-fed Merino sheep was harvested and shipped to New South Wales before being used to make garments for a company called Fast Retailing.
The point of this all is to show that pressure to reduce methane emissions is coming at the livestock industries. It has been for some time, and it isn’t going away. Breed associations like the American Hereford Association and the American Angus Association are both involved in studies and programs exploring various ways to gather more information to reduce methane emissions, whether it’s through feed additives, DNA or byproducts.
It isn’t just North America that is looking at this—it’s the globe. The uproar caused by the American Angus Association accepting grant money from the Global Methane Hub (two-thirds of that funding came from the Bezos Earth Fund, is a fresh memory. The idea that Jeff Bezos was funding research through a trusted breed association is definitely a scary thought. From my seat, I would much rather have a board and staff that I trust control the research than to be outperformed by a profit-driven global beef exporter from South America.
It’s definitely a story to watch, because Brazil’s beef industry is positioning itself for a big push. Keep in mind that their cattle cycle is at a peak right now, and they’ve got the product to sell. They are heading into a market shift, but they’ve carried an abundance of product over the past couple of years. The methane conversation is here to stay, regardless of who is funding it and whether we like it or not. — LOGAN IPSEN
