This article contains promotional content .(December 2024) |
Type | Feed ingredient |
---|---|
Inception | 2013 |
Manufacturer | CSIRO |
Website | https://www.future-feed.com |
FutureFeed is a ruminant livestock feed ingredient based on seaweed that can reduce methane emissions, established by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). FutureFeed holds the global intellectual property to use the seaweed Asparagopsis for livestock feed. Lowered methane emissions can be achieved by the addition of a small amount of the seaweed into the daily diet of livestock. [1] This discovery was made by a team of scientists from CSIRO and James Cook University (JCU), supported by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), who came together in 2013 to investigate the methane reduction potential of various native Australian seaweeds.
Asparagopsis is a genus of red algae, endemic in many parts of the world including Australia. The seaweed has proven to be the most efficient natural supplement available for lowering methane from ruminant livestock. [2] It also has feed efficiency benefits. [3] The active ingredient in seaweed in bromoform, which inhibits a key enzyme for methanogenesis. [1]
Cattle and sheep have long been known to voluntarily consume seaweed in variable amounts if they have access. Historical evidence suggests that farmers in Ancient Greece deliberately grazed cattle near beaches as a result of the productivity benefits it provided. This was also the case for Icelandic farmers in the 18th century. [4]
FutureFeed’s Chief Scientist Rob Kinley had a “lightbulb moment” in Canada in the early 2000’s, where an innovative Canadian dairy farmer, Joe Dorgan, had been allowing his dairy cows access to stormtoss seaweed that appeared naturally on his property. He reported consistent improvements in animal performance. Dorgan desired to commercialise this concept but regulations required it be scientifically tested first.
Kinley and Professor Alan Freeden were recruited by Dorgan to perform official testing on the nutritional data of this seaweed and to quantify the effects it had on cattle health. Dorgan intended to harvest and sell seaweed as an organic alternative to conventional supplements, however, further testing revealed its ability to reduce methane emissions of livestock. Kinley discovered that this particular form of seaweed was capable of reducing methane production in cattle by up to 20%. [5]
Following this discovery, Kinley moved to Australia to partner with CSIRO and James Cook University (JCU) to conduct further testing. A research team at JCU, including Professor Rocky De Nys, had previously studied the effects of algal feed additives on livestock production systems as part of the Centre for Macroalgal Resources and Biotechnology (MACRO). [6] This collaboration provided the foundations for FutureFeed’s commercial application of this research.
In 2013, Rocky De Nys and his team at JCU along with CSIRO performed in vitro tests on 30 tropical macroalgae species using an artificial cow stomach. Dried seaweed biomass was mixed in with low quality roughage and combined with rumen fluid. Temperature and pH were then maintained to accurately simulate the fermentation process that occurs within ruminant stomachs during digestion. The total volume and concentrations of produced gases were measured for each sample at 12-hour intervals over a 72-hour period. All seaweed species were shown to reduce methane emissions in some capacity with a 50% average reduction, however this required dosages as much as 20% of dietary intake. This was problematic as the high concentrations required would most likely cause digestion issues for livestock by reducing the volume of volatile fatty acids. Asparagopsis taxiformis proved the most effective with a measured methane reduction of 98.9%. Dictyota was the second most effective seaweed with a measured methane reduction of 92%. [7] The results of this experiment provided sufficient evidence for CSIRO to select Asparagopsis as the main ingredient in livestock feed.
In 2014, a patent on a method for reducing total gas production and/or methane production in ruminants (such as sheep and cattle) was registered by CSIRO, MLA and JCU.
De Nys and Kinley expanded upon the 2013 experiment in 2015 with the goal of finding an ideal dosage of Asparagopsis. The aim was to maximise methane reduction without compromising enteric health. Varying concentrations of Asparagopsis taxiformis were mixed with low quality Rhodes grass and examined using standardised in vitro culture methods. Five dosages were tested ranging from 0.5% to 10% of dietary composition. The optimum concentration was determined to be 2%, as it virtually eliminated methane production and reduced the volume of total gases produced by 30% without affecting fermentation efficiency. Dosages under 5% had no effect on volatile fatty acid concentrations, which is the primary source of energy resulting from digestion. [7]
In 2016, live tests were performed on sheep at the CSIRO Centre for Environment and Life Sciences in Floreat, Western Australia. 29 merino-cross wethers were fed one of five dosage levels (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% or 3% dietary intake) and monitored over a 72-day feeding period. In dosages of 2%, methane emission reductions of up to 85% were recorded when compared to control sheep. The sheep given dosages of 0.5% recorded at least a 50% reduction in methane emissions. No evidence of microbial adaptation occurred over the 72 days of testing as methane was continually and consistently mitigated. Tissue examination showed no adverse effects on the overall health of the sheep. [8]
In 2017, live subject tests over 90 days were performed on cattle at the CSIRO Lansdown facility in Queensland. [9] 28 Brahman-Angus steers were separated into four groups and given varying dosages of dried Asparagopsis in a simulated feedlot. Concentration levels for each group were 0% (control), 0.5% (low), 1% (medium) and 2% (high) dietary intake. Emissions monitoring was performed regularly using respiration chambers. Weekly weight checks were conducted to monitor cattle productivity. At the conclusion of the project, the cattle were terminated and had their carcasses sent to Meat Standards Australia (MSA) for meat quality assessment. The MSA found that Asparagopsis had no effect on meat eating quality. The bioactive bromoform was not detectable in tissues of treated steers, given a two-day withdrawal period. [10]
In 2019, a panel of testers were unable to discern any difference in taste between control milk and milk produced by cattle with seaweed supplements added to their diet. [6]
In 2020, FutureFeed won a Food Planet Prize worth USD $1million. [11] FutureFeed was also shortlisted for the 2021 Eureka Prize in the Applied Environmental Research category. [12]
In 2021 sensory testing showed high meat-eating quality and celebrity chef Matt Moran cooked the world’s first low-methane steaks. [13] The first licences were also granted by FutureFeed to companies in USA and Australia to cultivate and process Asparagopsis into a livestock feed product.
The first commercial sales of freeze-dried Asparagopsis were achieved in 2022 and licences were granted to a further seven companies in Australia, Sweden, USA and Canada. FutureFeed also added a patent for preparing Asparagopsis in an oil composition and won the Australian Financial Review’s Sustainability Leaders Award in the Agriculture and Environment category. [14]
In 2023, Asparagopsis-oil was successfully trialled in beef feedlot and dairy systems and a large herd trial determined productivity benefits of Asparagopsis for beef cattle. [15]
FutureFeed were named winners of the 2023 Bloomberg NEF Pioneers Award and many of its licensees raised further capital, won major industry awards and secured large commercial contracts on the back of production plans. [16]
Asparagopsis seaweed naturally contains halogenated methane analogues, mainly bromoform (CHBr3) at 1.7% dry weight, as a form of antibacterial defense. These chemicals act as an inhibitor for cobamide-dependent methyltransferase (see: Coenzyme M), a key enzyme for methanogenesis. [1]
Asparagopsis requires very little processing. It is harvested from a seaweed farm then uses freeze drying or controlled drying to preserve as much bioactivity as possible. This can then be packaged and transported as required. Alternatively, it can be steeped in an edible oil, such as canola. Homogeneity of seaweed biomass within the feed must be maintained to ensure uniform intake for consistent effect.
Asparagopsis is either one of two species: Asparagopsis taxiformis or Asparagopsis armata . Both species have very similar biochemistry and thus negligible difference in performance as an additive. [17] The main distinction between either species is the conditions that each flourishes in. Asparagopsis taxiformis thrives in tropical and subtropical climates and can be found in Australian coastal waters, predominantly in northern Queensland and Western Australia. [18] Asparagopsisarmata thrives in temperate climates and is found naturally in the Mediterranean Sea and Tasman Sea. [19]
Asparagopsis seaweed, native to Australia, contains bioactives that interrupt the microbes in a cow’s stomach that form methane. It is the most efficient natural methane supplement available for livestock – capable of reducing methane emissions by more than 80 per cent in controlled conditions. [3]
Asparagopsis can be included in feed and supplements as a stabilised freeze-dried powder, or in an edible oil.
FutureFeed research has included the supplement in feedlot and dairy total mixed rations (TMR) and dairy cows supplemented twice daily at milking. [20] A decade of science has shown this to be a safe and effective feed ingredient for livestock. [21]
Research into livestock methane production has shown that up to 12% of energy that fodder produces during digestion is lost as methane gas emissions, primarily from belching. [22]
It is a common misconception that the majority of methane emissions from livestock is through flatulent gas. Flatulent gas contributes to less than 10% of methane emissions as opposed to belching which contributes up to 95%. [23] This is caused by bacteria living within the first stomach, known as the rumen, which serves as a 'fermentation tank' to effectively break down nutrients during digestion. Methane production represents an inefficiency of energy conversion that would otherwise contribute to the productive metabolism of livestock, such as milk, muscle or wool production. By impeding methane production, Asparagopsis increases the efficiency of ruminant digestion in livestock to improve productivity. [4]
Productivity improvements are directly related to the quality of feed that is ingested. Grain-based feeds such as corn and barley produce up to one third less methane gas in cattle than grass fed cattle. [4]
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle. Beef can be prepared in various ways; cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often ground or minced, as found in most hamburgers. Beef contains protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Along with other kinds of red meat, high consumption is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease, especially when processed. Beef has a high environmental impact, being a primary driver of deforestation with the highest greenhouse gas emissions of any agricultural product.
Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. The process, which takes place in the front part of the digestive system and therefore is called foregut fermentation, typically requires the fermented ingesta to be regurgitated and chewed again. The process of rechewing the cud to further break down plant matter and stimulate digestion is called rumination. The word "ruminant" comes from the Latin ruminare, which means "to chew over again".
A feedlot or feed yard is a type of animal feeding operation (AFO) which is used in intensive animal farming, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) in the United States and intensive livestock operations (ILOs) or confined feeding operations (CFO) in Canada. They may contain thousands of animals in an array of pens.
Fodder, also called provender, is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food given to the animals, rather than that which they forage for themselves. Fodder includes hay, straw, silage, compressed and pelleted feeds, oils and mixed rations, and sprouted grains and legumes. Most animal feed is from plants, but some manufacturers add ingredients to processed feeds that are of animal origin.
Burping is the release of gas from the upper digestive tract of animals through the mouth. It is usually audible.
There are different systems of feeding cattle in animal husbandry. For pastured animals, grass is usually the forage that composes the majority of their diet. In turn, this grass-fed approach is known for producing meat with distinct flavor profiles. Cattle reared in feedlots are fed hay supplemented with grain, soy and other ingredients to increase the energy density of the feed. The debate is whether cattle should be raised on fodder primarily composed of grass or a concentrate. The issue is complicated by the political interests and confusion between labels such as "free range", "organic", or "natural". Cattle raised on a primarily foraged diet are termed grass-fed or pasture-raised; for example meat or milk may be called grass-fed beef or pasture-raised dairy. The term "pasture-raised" can lead to confusion with the term "free range", which does not describe exactly what the animals eat.
Enteric fermentation is a digestive process by which carbohydrates are broken down by microorganisms into simple molecules for absorption into the bloodstream of an animal. FAO estimated that ruminant livestock contribute to around 34.5 percent of the total anthropogenic methane emissions.
Dibromochloromethane is a colorless to yellow, heavy and nonflammable compound with formula CHBr
2Cl. It is a trihalomethane. The substance has a sweet odour. Small quantities of dibromochloromethane are produced in ocean by algae.
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production. The meat of mature or almost mature cattle is mostly known as beef. In beef production there are three main stages: cow-calf operations, backgrounding, and feedlot operations. The production cycle of the animals starts at cow-calf operations; this operation is designed specifically to breed cows for their offspring. From here the calves are backgrounded for a feedlot. Animals grown specifically for the feedlot are known as feeder cattle, the goal of these animals is fattening. Animals not grown for a feedlot are typically female and are commonly known as replacement heifers. While the principal use of beef cattle is meat production, other uses include leather, and beef by-products used in candy, shampoo, cosmetics, and insulin.
Animal feed is food given to domestic animals, especially livestock, in the course of animal husbandry. There are two basic types: fodder and forage. Used alone, the word feed more often refers to fodder. Animal feed is an important input to animal agriculture, and is frequently the main cost of the raising or keeping of animals. Farms typically try to reduce cost for this food, by growing their own, grazing animals, or supplementing expensive feeds with substitutes, such as food waste like spent grain from beer brewing.
The environmental impacts of animal agriculture vary because of the wide variety of agricultural practices employed around the world. Despite this, all agricultural practices have been found to have a variety of effects on the environment to some extent. Animal agriculture, in particular meat production, can cause pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, disease, and significant consumption of land, food, and water. Meat is obtained through a variety of methods, including organic farming, free-range farming, intensive livestock production, and subsistence agriculture. The livestock sector also includes wool, egg and dairy production, the livestock used for tillage, and fish farming.
Asparagopsis armata is a species of marine red algae, in the family Bonnemaisoniaceae. English name(s) include red harpoon weed. They are multicellular eukaryotic organisms. This species was first described in 1855 by Harvey, an Irish botanist who found the algae on the Western Australian coast. A. armata usually develops on infralittoral rocky bottoms around the seawater surface to around 40m of depth. Marine algae like A. armata are considered "autogenic ecosystem engineers" as they are at the very bottom of the food chain and control resource availability to other organisms in the ecosystem.
Mootral is a British-Swiss company that is developing a food supplement to reduce methane emissions from ruminant animals, chiefly cows and sheep, but also goats. Methane is a major target greenhouse gas and in the 4th protocol report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is recommended to increase from a x23 to x72 multiplier because of the magnitude of its effect relative to carbon dioxide and short longevity in Earth's atmosphere.
Meat & Livestock Australia (M&LA) is an independent company which regulates standards for meat and livestock management in Australian and international markets. Headquartered in North Sydney, Australia; M&LA works closely with the Australian government, and the meat and livestock industries. M&LA has numerous roles across the financial, public and research sectors. The M&LA corporate group conducts research and offers marketing services to meat producers, government bodies and market analysts alike. Forums and events are also run by M&LA aim to provide producers with the opportunity to engage with other participants in the supply chain.
Asparagopsis taxiformis, formerly A. sanfordiana, is a species of red algae, with cosmopolitan distribution in tropical to warm temperate waters. Researchers have demonstrated that feeding ruminants a diet containing 0.2% A. taxiformis seaweed reduced their methane emissions by nearly 99 percent.
The North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO) is a large, privately owned, Australian cattle company which operates 14 cattle stations covering over 60,000 km2, managing around 200,000 cattle, throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory. It produces beef cattle which are pasture raised and grain finished before sale to Australian meat processors, who onsell beef to domestic and international customers.
Asparagopsis is a genus of edible red macroalgae (Rhodophyta). The species Asparagopsis taxiformis is found throughout the tropical and subtropical regions, while Asparagopsis armata is found in warm temperate regions. Both species are highly invasive, and have colonised the Mediterranean Sea. A third accepted species is A. svedelii, while others are of uncertain status.
Karen Beauchemin is a federal scientist in Canada who is recognized as an international authority on methane emissions and ruminant nutrition. Her research helps develop farming techniques that improve how we raise cattle for meat and milk, while reducing the environmental impacts of livestock production.
3-Nitrooxypropanol (abbreviated as 3-NOP or 3NOP) is a synthetic organic compound with the formula HOCH2CH2CH2ONO2. It is the mononitrate ester of 1,3-propanediol and acts as an enzyme inhibitor that specifically targets methyl coenzyme M reductase (MCR), the enzyme that catalyzes the final step of methanogenesis in microbes living the digestive system of ruminants, such as cows and sheep.
The amount of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture is significant: The agriculture, forestry and land use sectors contribute between 13% and 21% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions come from direct greenhouse gas emissions. And from indirect emissions. With regards to direct emissions, nitrous oxide and methane makeup over half of total greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Indirect emissions on the other hand come from the conversion of non-agricultural land such as forests into agricultural land. Furthermore, there is also fossil fuel consumption for transport and fertilizer production. For example, the manufacture and use of nitrogen fertilizer contributes around 5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock farming is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, livestock farming is affected by climate change.