Fighting Methane with Microbes

The dairy industry is and has been a large contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions because of the production of methane during ruminant digestion. As attention on the changing climate increases, the dairy industry has received an increased backlash for its impact. This research seeks to build an understanding of the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of various professions in the dairy industry regarding microbial feed supplements, with an emphasis on those which aim to reduce enteric methane emissions (cow burps) while increasing milk yield. Qualitative data will be gathered and quantized through a survey that will be distributed across the Western United States (Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and westward). The survey aims to gather between 500 and 1,500 responses from dairy farmers/producers, dairy nutritionists, extension personnel, dairy cooperatives, grain or feed companies, and dairy product manufacturers. The survey is currently being prepared for distribution; once data is collected, it will be analyzed through varying approaches to build connections and lay groundwork for a foundational understanding of how different members of the dairy industry think about microbial feed supplements.