First-of-its-kind cattle methane limiter approved for Canada

Glacier FarmMedia – A feed ingredient designed to reduce methane emissions in beef and dairy cattle can now be used in Canada.

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Bovaer neutralizes methane in the rumen. When microbes break down feed, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are released. These two gases are combined in the presence of an enyzme. Bovaer works by suppressing the enzyme, reducing the amount of methane created

Why it matters: The beef industry says Canada was at risk of falling behind Europe, Brazil and Australia, where the feed additive has already been approved.

DSM- Firmenich, the Dutch company that sells the product, says it could be available in Canada within a few weeks.

The additive’s main purpose is to reduce methane emissions, but Canadian research has linked it with a small increase in feed efficiency, with no change in cattle growth rate.

“This will benefit Canadian farmers, efforts of the sector, and support Canada in delivering on its international emissions reduction commitments such as the Global Methane Pledge,” said Mark van Nieuwland, vice-president of the Dutch firm’s Bovaer arm.

The company has said Canadian cattle feeders could reduce methane emissions by an average of 45 per cent by using the ingredient.

In the case of dairy cows, Bovaer can “reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent on average, potentially lowering the overall greenhouse gas footprint per litre of milk by 10 to 15 per cent.”

A trial run of the product in Alberta provided Canadian data to underpin the approval.

“In 2020, DSM-Firmenich successfully completed the longest and largest trial with Bovaer,” said van Nieuwland. “(It was) a two-year trial with 15,000 beef cattle in Alberta and supported by ERA (Emission Reduction Alberta), which demonstrated methane reductions of up to 82 per cent, resulting in savings of 1,473 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent emissions) during this study alone.”

Once the product is integrated into programs like the Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions (REME) protocol for beef cattle and the Alberta Fed Cattle protocol, cattle feeders will also be able to generate carbon offsets from its use, the company said.

The authorization comes on the heels of the CFIA approval of 3-nitrooxypropanol (3NOP), the active ingredient in Bovaer.

“We are very pleased to see the regulatory pathway open for innovative feed ingredients that reduce methane emissions, which will contribute to our sector meeting its 2030 emissions goal,” said Nathan Phinney, Canadian Cattle Association president.

“We applaud the CFIA for their diligence on this file to ensure this new tool is available, which will allow Canadian beef producers to remain competitive globally.”

According to a joint release from the CCA and National Cattle Feeders’ Association, 3NOP has shown no negative impacts on the rumen microbial population when fed to cattle.

The Canadian beef industry has set a goal to reduce primary production greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 33 per cent by 2030. Dairy Farmers of Canada has a goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

Karen Beauchemin, retired Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist, was a key player in the Canadian research leading up to product approval.

“I think beef producers are interested in doing their part, but just focusing on enteric methane emissions is not going to get Canada where it needs to be by 2030,” said Beauchemin, in a 2022 interview with Canadian Cattlemen.

Enteric methane emissions from cattle contribute an estimated 3.3 per cent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

“One thing I find with consumers is they have a real misconception about how much enteric methane from animals contributes to our national greenhouse gas budget,” said Beauchemin.

The product has been approved in more than 50 countries but, as of early 2024, not yet in the United States.