ILRI to take part in ongoing US$27.4M methane reduction research project
The initiative explores natural livestock digestion differences to cut methane emissions. The project spans five continents with backing from Bezos Earth Fund and Global Methane Hub.
WORLD – The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is currently engaged in a US$27.4 million global project aimed at cutting methane emissions from livestock by studying natural differences in how animals digest food.
The initiative, funded by the Bezos Earth Fund and the Global Methane Hub, is supporting research and breeding programs in regions including North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania.
It is part of the Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator, which focuses on finding livestock that naturally produce less methane and integrating that knowledge across various species and agricultural systems.
According to Hayden Montgomery, Agriculture Program Director at the Global Methane Hub, the goal is to build a coordinated international foundation for public-good research that supports emission reductions and benefits farmers.
ILRI is contributing to the effort through two projects: the Global Methane Genetics Initiative and the Low Methane Forage project, both targeting livestock emissions in ways that avoid lowering productivity.
The genetics initiative is focused on identifying cattle across African production environments that emit lower levels of methane, with plans to collect data from more than 100,000 animals for breeding program use.
Meanwhile, the Low Methane Forage project is promoting tropical forage varieties that not only reduce methane output but are also productive and suitable for smallholder and pastoral systems.
Together, the two projects aim to offer science-based solutions tailored for farming communities, particularly in Africa, while aligning with both national and regional agricultural priorities.
ILRI Director General Appolinaire Djikeng stated that this approach could support climate-resilient livestock systems while also improving productivity and food security for farmers on the continent.
The research is being carried out in partnership with institutions including South Africa’s Agriculture Research Council, Burkina Faso’s CIRAD, and the Université d’Abomey-Calavi in Benin.
Methane from cattle, a potent greenhouse gas with over 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide in a 20-year span, is the largest contributor to livestock-related emissions.
Some cattle naturally emit up to 30% less methane than others, and scientists believe breeding these animals selectively—similar to selecting for milk yield—can lead to long-term reductions in emissions.
Andy Jarvis of the Bezos Earth Fund says the work applies traditional animal selection techniques to identify climate-friendly cattle without requiring farmers to change infrastructure or feeding methods.
According to Wageningen University & Research’s Prof. Roel Veerkamp, the international breeding community is collaborating to accelerate genetic improvements aimed at methane efficiency.
Projections show that this approach could cut cattle methane emissions by 1% to 2% each year, potentially reaching a 30% reduction within the next 20 years.
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