The Australian Government has signed the Global Methane Pledge to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030 and has touched off a debate on the ways and means.
The federal Labor Government’s Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, said the pledge would not involve new taxes, nor would it require a reduction in livestock numbers.
Livestock contributes about 10% of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions and just under half its methane emissions.
The livestock sector has said it can meet the methane reduction target without legislation and reducing cattle numbers, using methane inhibition products and new technologies.
But climate change activists doubt that the scale of methane reduction required can be achieved in the time frame and some farming leaders don’t believe the bit about no new levies or taxes.
Leader of the Nationals Party in opposition David Littleproud said the pledge would make farming livestock more expensive and push the prices of beef prime cuts out of reach of Australians.
He said the government and farming leaders are banking on untried methods to make the 2030 target.
An example is asparagopsis seaweed supplements to reduce enteric methane in feedlot cattle: the current cost of $2/head/day shows it is not viable, Littleproud said.
Sea Forest Australia, a pioneering producer of asparagopsis in Tasmania, has disputed Littleproud’s statement, saying that it already supplies six Australian farms at a cost of under $1/head/day.
Fonterra in Tasmania is a project partner, testing both milk and meat for any compositional changes after seaweed supplementation.
“The innovation in seaweed production means that we can reduce our prices as we expand the volumes,” Sea Forest chief executive Sam Elsom said.
Sea Forest is currently harvesting marine seaweed grown on ropes while building a large onshore hatchery at Triabunna.
Elsom also welcomed federal government funding announcements to accelerate the commercialisation of seaweed supplements.
Sea Forest and several partners got a grant to trial lick blocks for cattle, testing them in Australia’s harsh environment.
“We believe that asparagopsis can play a very significant part in methane reduction, particularly in Australia and New Zealand, and we are grateful for the continuing support of the government,” Elsom said.
Commercial feed lot cattle supplementation with asparagopsis in South Australia uses marine-sourced seaweed from CH4 Australia, soon to be augmented by New Zealand-grown product.
The indicated cost of $2/head/day was confirmed by CH4 Aotearoa general manager Nigel Little, who added that the feedlot operator and its processor are prepared to pay that price for the asparagopsis supplement.
“The asparagopsis price will come down as we scale up and the price of carbon will go up. Processors will eventually pay a premium for the milk or meat,” Little said.
“Our projection is that the net cost will come down, so it shouldn’t cost the farmer anything.”
Little said the early adopters, like the corporately owned feedlots, are looking to improve their carbon balance sheets.
The second adopters will be farmers already investing in reducing their carbon footprints, followed by mainstream meat industry producers and processors.
More than 100 countries have signed up on the pledge to reduce methane, which covers about 30% of global methane emissions.
