Denmark Bets on Cow Feed Additive to Reduce Methane Emissions
16:08 JST, April 25, 2024
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) — Denmark has agreed to help farmers finance a feed additive that is expected to reduce methane emissions from cattle by up to 30%, as part of efforts to meet ambitious climate goals, its government said on April 15.
Denmark, a major dairy exporter, could become the first country in the world to price agricultural emissions, including methane emissions from burping cows, a move that has broad political backing.
Methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, is a natural byproduct of digestion in cows and other ruminants that is released into the atmosphere.
The Nordic country has pledged to reduce emissions by 70% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
More than half of Denmark’s land is farmed, with agriculture accounting for about a third of the country’s carbon emissions, according to Danish climate think tank Concito.
Farming has not yet been subject to any climate regulations, but the industry has expressed concerns that a carbon tax would force them to reduce production and close farms.
Instead, farmers and the dairy industry have advocated the use of additives that stop the fermentation process inside the cows’ stomach, preventing the production of methane.
The government set aside 518 million Danish crowns ($74 million) to finance the feed additive, which is expected to reduce methane emissions from the country’s roughly 550,000 dairy cows by 30% in 2030.
Such additives have been met with skepticism from Danish politicians and animal welfare groups, as it is still unclear whether it would meet Danish animal welfare standards.
Netherlands-based nutrition company Royal DSM had a feed additive approved by the EU in 2022.
"Science & Nature" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Govt, U.S. Sign Deal to Send 2 Japanese Astronauts to the Moon; Toyota to Contribute to Artemis Program with Lunar Cruiser
-
Gigantic Ichthyosaur’s Fossils Found by British Girl, Father
-
Jellyfish Invade Venezuelan Waters, Worrying Fishermen
-
Fossils of Colossal Snake Vasuki Unearthed in India
-
Fossil of 16-million-year-old River Dolphin Found in Peru
JN ACCESS RANKING
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
- UNRWA Director Describes Catastrophic Destruction in Gaza; Says Relief Trucks Robbed, ‘People’s Hearts Destroyed’
- JAL Airplane Experiences Radio Malfunction During Flight, Lands Safely By Relying on Light Signals