Mitigation of enteric methane emissions from ruminant animals presented by Henning Steinfeld, FAO Livestock Information, Sector Analysis and Policy Branch, Rome, Italy

1. Mitigation of enteric methane emissions from
ruminants:
the role of biotechnology
Henning Steinfeld, FAO
Carolyn Opio, FAO
Rome, 17 February 2016
Presentation to the FAO International symposium on agricultural biotechnologies
The role of agricultural biotechnologies in sustainable food systems and nutrition

2. ABOUT METHANE
• Concentration of methane in the atmosphere
has increased by 150% in the last 260 years
• Potent greenhouse gas
Contribution of greenhouse gases to global warming

3. SOURCES OF METHANE

4. BIOTECHNOLOGY IN LIVESTOCK
Application of biotechnology to livestock production
Reproductive
biotechnology
o Artificial insemination
o Conventional embryo transfer
o In vitro embryo production
o Sexing of sperm and embryos
o Cloning
Breeding and
genetics
o Crossbreeding
o Genetic selection
o Transgenesis
o DNA sequencing
o [plant breeding for livestock feed]
Animal health o Disease diagnosis
o Vaccine development
Nutrition and feed
utilization
o Enhancing nutritive value of feed
o Improving rumen fermentation process
o Rumen manipulation

5. ANCIENT BIOTECHNOLOGY: THE DOMESTICATION OF RUMINANTS
•Domesticated (cattle, sheep, goats, etc.) and wild (bison,
antelope, etc.).
•Originally developed as grazers/browsers, more recently
have been adapted to mixed rations.
•Nutrition based on plant material that cannot be digested by
most other species, including humans
How do they do it?
Microbial fermentation

6. THE RUMEN: MICROBIAL FERMENTATION
Rumen microorganisms and their roles
•Bacteria: ferment fiber, starch, sugar in feed to VFA, H2, CO2
•Protozoa: consume and ferment bacteria to VFA and NH3,
ferment starch, recycle N
•Funghi: assist in fibre digestion
Produce CH4, but allows for more
complete feed utilization
2-12%
energy loss
fermentation

7. 1ST
GENERATION BIOTECHNOLOGIES: FEED & FEEDING PRACTICES
• technologies that have relatively small risk and are uniformly associated with increased
productivity and high reduction potential
• Classical technologies: focus on nutritional regulation, optimization of feed rations
• Components of the diet fed, especially type of carbohydrate, are important for methane
production. They are able to influence the ruminal pH and alter the microbiota

8. 2nd
GENERATION BIOTECHNOLOGIES: FEED SUPPLEMENTS & ADDITIVES
• Many have some mitigation uncertainty, are expensive, have poorly understood interactive effects with other
emission sources, or other associated risk.
• Technologies with potential to reduce CH4 by providing alternative hydrogen sinks, change populations of
microbial species that produce methane

9. 3RD
GENERATION BIOTECHNOLOGIES: MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY
•Technologies on the horizon, including the use of genetic modification
•Focus rumen manipulation
Vaccination
Biological control through use of competitive or predatory microbes e.g. Bacteriocins
(directly inhibit archaea methanogens), acetogens (an alternative hydrogen sink)
Defaunation (elimination of rumen protozoa which symbiotically support some rumen
methanogens)
•Currently being investigated, research in early stages
•insufficient information on effects on methanogen species
•methanogen diversity in the rumen is influenced by diet: poses a challenge to develop
a vaccine that can be effective in different conditions and regions

10. Ruminant production only practical means of food production in dry areas
Occupies 1/3 of global land; 70% ag. land are rangelands and pastures

11. • 730 million poor live in rural and marginal areas
• 430 million are poor livestock keepers
Density of poor livestock keepers

12. Emission intensity

13. ENTERIC METHANE MITIGATION: RELATIONSHIP WITH PRODUCTIVITY
first generation: dietary and best
management practices
second generation
third generation
Enteric CH4 emissions can be reduced by between 22% and 33% with the transfer and
adoption of existing technologies

14. MITIGATION CONSTRAINTS
o Ruminant production – low input systems, operating low
cost
o Complexity of sector: diversity, multiple roles
o Limited awareness: reduction opportunities and
benefits, knowledge gaps on technologies and practices,
limited institutional capacity
o Complexity of the rumen: methane production a
biological process
o Cost of mitigation actions: role of carbon finance

15. CONCLUSIONS
o Methane: important role in short term mitigation
o Biotechnology improves food security, raise incomes and reduces
emissions
o Wide range of tools currently being applied to ruminant production:
• basic technologies e.g. nutritional strategies offer the largest potential
• further reductions can be achieved with modern and advanced
technologies
• total reduction is however impossible
o For biotechnologies to have impact, context is important
o Investment in technological transfer and uptake required
o Access to markets and inputs needs to be addressed

16. Thank you
henning.Steinfeld@fao.org
Carolyn.opio@fao.org