No reason to demonise farming
OPINION: New Zealand has said it is going to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by ‘a lot’ and ‘in a short time’. One of those gases is methane. Our biggest producer of methane is livestock farming.
At least one third of all emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, comes from cows, goats, sheep, etc – ruminant animals.
Over 12 weeks, cattle that consumed the chemical 3NOP also gained 80% more body weight than those given ordinary feed.
The 3NOP (3-nitrooxypropanol) compound was developed by DSM Nutritional Products, a Dutch supplier of feed additives. The product seems safe and effective.
But note, in cows that ate the supplement there was no decrease in feed intake, fibre digestibility and milk production.
If regulators approved it and farmers began using it this methane inhibitor could cut greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.
