Methane Mitigation: A Livestock's Path to Sustainability

Introduction In recent years, growing attention has been directed toward the greenhouse effect and its role in global warming. The primary greenhouse gases (GHGs) contributing to this phenomenon are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). These gases act like a blanket around the Earth, trapping heat by absorbing energy and delaying its escape back into space. This process leads to a gradual increase in global temperatures, threatens livestock production. This climate change-induced stress impacts feed crop and forage quality, water availability, milk yield, animal health, reproduction, and overall biodiversity (Rojas-Downing et al., 2017). To cap global warming at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050 as outlined by the IPCC (2018), global net-zero emissions are essential, coupled with drastic cuts in methane emissions (Rogelj and Lamboll, 2024). Methane stands out as a particularly potent contributor. It absorbs more heat per molecule than CO2 and has a global warming potential (GWP) 28 times higher over a century. Additionally, methane indirectly contributes to global warming as a precursor to ozone, another harmful GHG (Kataria, 2015). The rising levels of atmospheric methane are closely tied to human activities, such as agriculture and fossil fuel production, with anthropogenic sources accounting for about two-thirds of total emissions. Ruminant digestion and manure management combined