Livestock Methane Emissions

Livestock Methane Emission

Like carbon dioxide, methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. Methane is particularly problematic as its impact is 34 times greater than CO2 over a 10-year period (IPCC, 2013).

Ruminant animals, such as sheep and cattle, emit methane as a by-product of digesting feed. There is no single, high-impact strategy currently available to reduce emissions per animal but options include dietary manipulation, modification of rumen fermentation, feedstock quality, and selective breeding for reduced emissions. In general, options that increase animal growth rates and reproductive performance can reduce emissions intensity and increase producer profitability.

Capitalising on perennial foragers suited to the Western Australian South Coast to reduce methane emissions intensity (2013-2017) – South Coast NRM

This project, funded by the Australian Government’s Action on the Ground Program, trialled and demonstrated a variety of perennial grazing systems to reduce livestock methane emissions. Perennials on the south coast of Western Australia have potential to be a positive investment for farmers in salt affected and marginal land in various ways. This project measured the methane (CH4) emissions from merino sheep grazing in a saltbush system and assessed soil health.

A few case studies were produced and are linked below:

Case studies