Scientists target methane emissions in stock to push green

The ‘Global Methane Genetics Initiative’ brings together 50 partners across 25 countries, under the leadership of the Animal Breeding and Genomics group, and Wageningen University in the Netherlands. The project, which will run across Europe, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, seeks to develop breeding tools that can help identify and select livestock with naturally lower methane emissions, a move the consortium believes could offer long-term environmental benefits without disrupting established production systems.

The scale of investment reflects growing global pressure on agriculture to address methane, a greenhouse gas significantly more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. The project has secured $19.3 million from the Bezos Earth Fund, the climate-focused philanthropic organisation founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and an additional $8.1 million from the Global Methane Hub, an NGO dedicated to cutting global methane output.

Cattle, in particular, remain a key focus for emissions reductions. According to research underpinning the project, variation in methane production of up to 30% already exists within herds, creating an opportunity for genetics-based selection to drive down emissions at herd level over successive generations. Scientists involved in the initiative believe this could lead to cumulative and permanent reductions in global agricultural methane output, without requiring major changes to feeding or management practices.

Dr. Andy Jarvis, Director of the Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund, called the initiative 'an elegant and scalable solution' to the challenge of reducing methane from ruminants.

“This approach builds on centuries of breeding expertise, using modern tools to identify naturally lower-emitting animals and lock in climate benefits for years to come,” he said.

The practical focus of the programme is on collecting and analysing methane data from more than 100,000 animals worldwide. The results will feed into both public and private breeding programmes, with the long-term aim of making methane efficiency a standard breeding objective alongside traits such as fertility, growth and disease resistance.

Hayden Montgomery, agriculture programme director at the Global Methane Hub, described the initiative as 'a cornerstone' of a global research effort to address enteric methane.

“By coordinating research across countries, breeds and species, this project aims to deliver real-world tools to farmers, supporting both environmental outcomes and economic resilience,” he said.

For Scottish producers, the initiative could mark the beginning of a significant shift in breeding priorities. While much of the technical work will take place overseas, its findings are likely to shape the development of breeding indexes and genetic evaluation tools used across the UK, influencing the market for breeding stock and commercial animals alike.

If successful, the initiative estimates its approach could drive annual reductions of 1% to 2% in livestock methane output, building toward a 30% cut by 2045, a target that would align with international climate commitments while preserving the productivity and profitability of the ruminant livestock sector.

The project’s backers argue that embracing genetics as part of the solution will allow agriculture to play a proactive role in climate mitigation, while recognising the essential role of cattle and sheep in food security, landscape management and rural economies.