Practical strategies to mitigate ruminant greenhouse gas emissions

Abstract

Livestock contributes to 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, with ruminants being the largest contributor through enteric methane emissions. Although several strategies are available to mitigate livestock methane, no consensus exists on which methods are the most effective. Here, we projected by 2050 the impact of the most pragmatic strategies to reduce enteric methane, modelling cattle emissions. The projection shows that supplementing ruminant feed with anti-methanogenic seaweed and converting grassland into silvopasture offer the greatest potential to reduce emissions. A synergic combination of strategies can aid Europe and most of Asia to can reach ruminant carbon neutrality by 2035 and 2038, respectively. However, global cattle CO2-eq emissions will be reduced by no more than 34 percent by 2050, remaining far above the carbon neutrality target. Mitigation strategies alone are insufficient to lower emissions, and reducing the demand for ruminant products is also necessary – particularly in Africa and Western Asia.