UK farmers turn to seaweed in a bid to reduce livestock methane emissions

Following an agreement at COP26 where the US and EU pledged to reduce agricultural outputs from ruminant livestock by upwards of 30 percent by 2030, scientists at Queen's University Belfast's Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) will feed seaweed to farm animals to slash methane by at least 30 percent. Early laboratory research done by IGFS has shown promising results when feeding ruminants native Irish and UK seaweeds, which are rich in active compounds called phlorotannins. These compounds are antibacterial and improve immunity, potentially carrying additional health benefits for the animals. Trials of feeding ruminants seaweeds sourced from the Irish and North Sea are about to begin on UK farms, with one three-year project working in partnership with UK supermarket Morrisons and its network of British beef farmers, who will facilitate farm trials. IGFS, along with the Agrifood and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), who is also partnering on the Morrisons project, is also ...