Climate change is affecting our food, and our food is affecting the climate. NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about the search for solutions.
In a building on the edge of Cornell University’s campus in Ithaca, two large cows stand inside what looks like a giant metal box with windows and heavy, stainless steel doors.
While the cows go on with their lives — eating, sleeping, burping — the machine, called a respiration chamber, measures the exact amount of gas each one emits.
That’s key data for an industry that’s under pressure to reduce its methane emissions. Globally, cows and other livestock account for over one-third of human-caused methane emissions, which contribute to climate change. In New York, the agricultural industry is responsible for approximately 6% of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
To curb those emissions, the beef and dairy industries have bet big on something called feed additives — the idea that feeding cows something new could make their burps contain less methane.
The four respiration chambers at Cornell are now poised to play a key role in that effort. The $2 million facility, unveiled earlier this year, is the only one of its kind in the U.S. While other technology can estimate daily emissions, the chambers record comprehensive data on exactly how much gas a cow burps for as long as they’re inside.
That data is essential for figuring out which feed additives work and how to improve them, said Joseph McFadden, associate professor of dairy cattle biology at Cornell.
“There's a real sense of urgency that we have to reduce methane emissions, and there's going to be a lot of pressure on livestock agriculture to step up and do so,” said McFadden, who led the university’s effort to acquire the new facility. “Now to actually have this equipment, it gives us a tool to be able to ensure that we have accurate measurements.”
The promise of feed additives
Cows make methane mostly because of an enzyme in their stomachs. When they burp, they release that methane into the atmosphere, where it traps heat and contributes to climate change.
Studies so far show that certain additives can suppress that enzyme, at least for a short while. Natural products, like seaweed and oregano, as well as engineered powders, have been found to reduce the amount of methane a cow burps out over a certain period. The FDA approved one powder additive for widespread use earlier this year.
No additive has yet been found to eliminate methane production completely. But tweaking what cows eat could make a significant dent to the dairy industry’s emissions, said Cornell animal science professor Michael Van Amburgh, who also plans to conduct research in the respiration chambers.
“I'm not under any illusion that we're going to figure out something that's just going to wipe them out,” said Van Amburgh, referring to the enzymes that create methane. “But what we could do is we could figure out how to put together better diets.”
To Eric Toensmeier, a fellow at the environmental think tank Project Drawdown, research into additives looks promising. But he’s wary of their potentially limited reach.
Additives will cost farmers time and money, which may restrict how many end up using them. And they are best used for cows raised in barns and fed feed, which is common in the U.S., but less so in some other parts of the world.
That's why Toensmeier doesn't want the beef and dairy industries to use additives as an excuse. The best way to reduce livestock emissions is still to cut down meat and dairy consumption, he said.
“It's great that some portions of the industry are actually accepting that methane is a real thing and trying to make a plan to do something about that,” said Toensmeier. “The concern is you don't want them sort of hiding behind it.”
The future of dairy farming
In New York and nationwide, there's growing interest and investment in research that unlocks solutions to lowering farming emissions. The Biden administration has allocated over $3 billion towards “climate smart” agriculture. Other countries, like Denmark, Australia and Canada, are funneling money towards similar initiatives too.
The research is intriguing to Keith Kimball, who raises cattle in Groveland, New York, and chairs the Northeast Dairy Producers Association. He has hope that additives will help farmers reduce their emissions, but he remains skeptical of their longterm benefit.
“This is something that farmers will for sure consider,” said Kimball. “But is it going to make us more efficient as an industry and improve our carbon footprint? I'm not positive that it is.”
For Kimball, raising cattle is full of careful calculations to make sure his cows are healthy and producing lots of milk. He is concerned that feed additives could mess up that equation and make his cows less productive.
“I am excited to see where it goes,” said Kimball.
For now, he’s standing by to see whether research will show if feed additives are worth it — if they can reduce emissions long term without harming cows. It is one of the major questions the animal respiration chambers at Cornell University could help answer.