Seaweed in cattle feed to reduce greenhouse gas from burping dairy cows

Seaweed could contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. DLG and Vilofoss have joined the promising research project Climate Feed, which is set to develop seaweed feed supplement with support from Innovation Fund Denmark. There’s a huge potential in reducing cows’ emission of methane and, consequently, greenhouse gases.  

The major part of agriculture’s emissions of CO2 and greenhouse gases come from ruminant cows: each cow burps between 200-500 litres methane every day. Danish researchers and companies will join forces to change this trend, through the research project Climate Feed. 

“Together with researchers and companies, we will contribute to developing a cattle feed supplement based on seaweed, which can reduce the development of methane gas in the cows’ stomachs. Being one of Europe’s largest agricultural companies, we will always set an example within innovation. We consider it our responsibility to lead the way for our agricultural customers and owners, so that we contribute to maintaining and further developing a sustainable dairy production,” says Birgitte Marie Løvendahl Raun, Product Manager, Cattle Feed at DLG, and PhD in animal nutrition.

Climate Feed has a project budget amounting to 17m DKK, of which 11,7m have been donated by Innovation Fund Denmark. In addition to DLG and Vilofoss, the remaining participants are the Danish Technological Institute, Aarhus University, University of Waikato in New Zealand, Ocean Rainforest, Danish Seaweed, DryingMate, Naturmælk (a Danish dairy) and SEGES (part of Danish Agriculture & Food Council). 

Seaweed: feed supplement for cows

Certain types of seaweed contain strong antioxidants and tannins which can help stop the development of methane in the cows’ rumens.

Birgitte Marie Løvendahl Raun, DLG, says:
”It’s only natural that DLG and Vilofoss are part of the project. We know what is practically feasible, and we can help the researchers make it a useful product, so that seaweed is not only a good idea in theory. Our extensive knowledge will help decide whether seaweed should be mixed with Vilofoss’ mineral premixes or in DLG’s feed concentrates.”

”Also, we possess a high degree of production knowhow, and are capable of handling the raw materials to maintain the correct properties of our feed compositions. Furthermore, we have wide experience within marketing and delivering the products to our agricultural customers. We are really looking forward to the cooperation and, in the end, of course, we hope to help reduce the agricultural climate footprint.”

The research project will run over the next four years and is set to develop methods for cultivating, harvesting and processing/drying seaweed into finished goods, such as powder or pellets, which the farmer can easily supplement to the cattle. The product must contain verified and stable active substances, which reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from the cattle – without deteriorating the milk yield, flavour or quality. 

For more information
Birgitte Marie Løvendahl Raun, Product Manager, Cattle Feed at DLG, and PhD in animal nutrition, tel. +45 22514233