Colombia Will Test Technology to Reduce Methane Gas Produced by Livestock Farming

It is nothing new to know that methane emissions from livestock farming come mainly from the digestive processes of ruminants (such as cows and sheep) and from their manure, and that this gas, which is generated in large quantities around the world, is a powerful climate pollutant. What is new is that Colombia will be the first country in Latin America where a technology will be tested that seeks to contribute to reducing emissions of this gaseous, colorless and highly harmful hydrocarbon.

The idea is for Colombia to develop and validate the use of AlgaToro, a natural ingredient made from seaweed that, according to international scientific research, can reduce by more than 80% the methane produced by cows during their digestive process.

Different attempts to reduce methane in livestock farming

So far, the problem has been addressed by improving the animals’ diet through the use of high-quality forage and nutritional supplements to reduce the amount of gases generated during digestion (burps). Attempts are also being made through manure treatment with biodigesters that make it possible to capture methane and transform it into biogas to generate energy.

Even genetic improvement is being pursued through the selection of more efficient animals that can produce the same amount of meat or milk with a lower environmental impact. But nothing seems to provide a real solution to the problem.

That is why the tests with AlgaToro are generating significant expectations about what can be achieved with this product. In general, seaweed, including bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), is an excellent nutritional supplement for livestock because it provides a large amount of minerals (iodine, calcium, iron), vitamins and proteins, improving intestinal health and animal productivity. In addition, it helps reduce methane emissions in ruminants.

Some red algae can inhibit the digestive enzymes that produce methane, reducing these emissions by up to 80-95% without affecting animal health.

In Colombia, the tests will be carried out through an agreement between dairy company Alqueria and Australian company SeaStock, which warns that ruminants generate almost ten times more carbon than alternative animal proteins and more than 30 times more than plant proteins.

Two experiences united by the same purpose

This is mainly due, the company says, to the production of methane in their rumen (first stomach) during enteric fermentation. Methane is a major concern because its effect on global warming is much greater than that of carbon dioxide, almost 28 times greater.

The project in the country will begin with producers linked to Alqueria and will aim to generate information on the behavior of this innovation in production systems based on tropical grazing, a predominant characteristic of Colombian livestock farming and different from that of other markets where this type of technology has already been studied.

This initiative will bring together SeaStock’s experience in developing seaweed-based solutions and Alqueria’s more than 60 years of experience with Colombian producers. The mutual purpose is to adapt this innovation to the country’s conditions and provide tools that strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of dairy production.

“Livestock farming of the future is not built by choosing between producing more or taking care of the planet; it is built with competitiveness and innovation,” said Rafael Alvarez, CEO of Alqueria, quoted by Semana magazine. “This alliance will allow Colombia to be the first setting in Latin America to evaluate a technology with the potential to contribute to more sustainable milk production and strengthen the competitiveness of producers.”

In turn, and in the same outlet, Tom Puddy, executive director of SeaStock, said that the decision to begin this process in Colombia responds to the country’s characteristics and the work developed by Alqueria with its producers. “Colombia offers very favorable conditions for evaluating the potential of this technology. Working together with Alqueria will allow us to learn how this innovation responds in production systems typical of Latin America and continue advancing in solutions that benefit both producers and the environment.”