Cows in New Zealand will be fed “Kowbucha” probiotics to reduce their burps, which release methane into the air.
The powder is blended into a milk-like liquid that is fed to the calves at the Massey University farm in Palmerston North, New Zealand. New Zealand pledged to cut emissions of gases produced by livestock by 10% on 2017 levels by 2030 and by up to 47% by 2050, according to Reuters.
“Probiotics are great because they’re a really natural solution,” Shalome Bassett, principal scientist at Fonterra Research and Development Center, told the outlet. “Whatever we do, it has to be something that’s easy for the farmer to use, has to be cost-effective, and we have to ensure that it’s good for the cow and doesn’t have any effect on the milk.”
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Methane, a greenhouse gas, is more than 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. Methane concentrations in the atmosphere have more than doubled over the last 200 years, mostly due to human-related activities, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Early trials of feeding the calves Kowbucha suggested that they emitted up to 20% less methane after taking the probiotic, and other trials have shown similar results. If trials continue to show promise, Kowbucha sachets will be available for purchase in stores by the end of 2024, said Bassett.
On June 8, New Zealand released a draft plan to charge farmers on agricultural emissions as a means to battle greenhouse gas emissions, making New Zealand the first country to have farmers pay for emissions from livestock. The country is home to about 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep.
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Pricing information on Kowbucha sachets has not yet been revealed.
