The era of decarbonization of cows!

May 24, 17:47

Did you know that "beef belching contains greenhouse gases"?

Now, as we aim for a carbon-free society, it has become a problem that cannot be ignored.

(Naoko Kawase, Reporter, Economic Department / Tamura Galaxy, Reporter, International Department)

“Don't eat cows for the earth”

There is a growing movement around the world to refrain from eating beef and dairy products to prevent global warming.

In April, the popular American recipe site "Epicurious" announced that it would stop posting new beef recipes.

The reason is controversial, saying, "I don't want to give one of the worst climate criminals in the world a turn."

One reason why cows are said to be "bad for the environment" is methane, which occurs in the stomach of cows and is produced as belching.

"Methane" is said to have a greenhouse effect 25 times that of carbon dioxide.

The amount of methane emitted from the gastrointestinal tract of cattle and the like around the world is 2 billion tons (carbon dioxide equivalent) annually.

It accounts for 4% of greenhouse gases and is said to be comparable to the emissions of one country.

Reduce burp methane!

"Do not make cows a bad guy in the global environment."

That's what the researchers at the national research institute, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization) say.

We are conducting research on "cattle that emit less methane".

When measuring the amount of carbon dioxide and methane emitted from cows using a dedicated machine, the amount of methane varied greatly depending on the cow.

The secret lies in the bacteria in the stomach where belching occurs.

There are many bacteria in the stomach of cows, and they break down grass that ordinary animals cannot digest to make nutrition.

There are many types of this bacterium, and it has become clear that the amount of methane produced in the stomach varies depending on which type of bacterium the cow has.

We are currently identifying the bacteria that "cattle with low methane emissions" have.

By increasing this bacterium in the stomach of another cow, or by mating a cow that originally has a lot of this bacterium, it is possible to increase the number of "cows that emit less methane".

NARO wants to reduce the amount of methane contained in burp by 25% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.

Senior Researcher Makai

"Beef and milk that produce a small amount of methane have the potential to add new value, and we would like to aim for practical use at the earliest possible stage. If these products are lined up in supermarkets, we should actively purchase them. I want you to support your research. "

For business opportunities overseas

Even in Europe and the United States, where beef consumption is relatively higher than in Japan, research on such "decarbonized beef" is progressing.

In Australia, one of the world's leading “meat lovers”, with annual beef consumption per capita of nearly 20 kilograms, more than double that of the Japanese, national research institutes and universities will cut methane from beef gep early on. I have been working on research.

Previous studies have shown that by mixing a small amount of a type of seaweed called "Kagikenori" with cattle feed, methane generated in the stomach can be suppressed by about 90%.

In addition, businesses using such research have begun.

Swedish startup Volta Greentech has taken notice of these characteristics of "Kagikenori" and started a business to cultivate this seaweed for cattle feed.

Currently, "Kagikenori" produced at our facility is powdered for food and is being supplied to farmers in the suburbs of Stockholm on a trial basis.

In the future, we plan to further expand production and promote full-scale commercialization.

Fredrik O'Kelmann, 24, CEO, said that he was aware of the problem of global warming from an early age and noticed the delay in measures in the livestock field, which was the reason for starting a business.

CEO Okelmann

"While significant technological advances have been made in areas such as renewable energy and storage batteries, few companies are working to decarbonize cattle. I think this business has great significance. "

Japanese farmers who have started to move

"I think there is something that livestock farmers can do."

With that in mind, some Japanese farmers have begun their own efforts to decarbonize.

Junko Saito, who runs a ranch that raises 2,500 beef cattle in Otawara City, Tochigi Prefecture.

Saito-san's ranch is said to have made efforts to reduce the environmental burden by composting all the dung from cattle at its own facility.

However, nitrous oxide contained in the excrement from cattle is a kind of greenhouse gas, and it has a greenhouse effect 300 times as much as carbon dioxide.

Therefore, Mr. Saito started to take measures against global warming of excrement using food.

The food produced by NARO and Tochigi Prefecture is made by reducing the protein that causes the generation of nitrous oxide, and in the experiment, we succeeded in halving the greenhouse gas.

When 18 cows were bred on a trial basis using this food for half a year from last fall, there was no effect on growth or meat quality.

When we sold it as environmentally friendly beef, we received a series of inquiries and orders.

With expectations that he would like to support the efforts of livestock farmers, Mr. Saito is enthusiastic about continuing production while controlling the cost of food and the price of meat.

Mr. Saito

"It's easy to quit cowherd because it's bad for the environment, but I would like to take the initiative in what we can do to leave the livestock industry. We will cooperate with the research institute and other farmers. I want to aim for a sustainable livestock industry. "

For cows?

When this topic was first broadcast on TV, there was an opinion, "How about imposing a burden on cows on their own?"

According to the researchers, "What we are working on now is to reduce greenhouse gases while keeping cows healthy. We aim to maintain good relationships between cows and people and to be environmentally friendly. I am. "

Mr. Saito, who I met during the interview, also said, "Cow eats rice straw that people do not normally eat, and compost enriches the fields."

We have had to borrow "cow's hand" to stop global warming, which is said to be caused by "human economic activity", but cows, humans and the earth should not be "imposed by humans". I want to build a good relationship that can coexist.

Reporter of the Ministry of Economic Affairs

Naoko Kawase

Joined the

Bureau

in 2011

After working at the Niigata Bureau and the Sapporo Bureau, she

is in charge of the agriculture, forestry and fisheries administration

International Department press

Tamura galaxy

2013. He joined

in charge of the environmental field, the influence of the world due to climate change, covering the COP24, COP25