Every October 16 since 1979 has been recognized as World Food Day. Designated by The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, this day is meant to promote awareness of hunger and action for the future of food, people, and the planet. At this year’s World Food Forum taking place October 16-20, world leaders, experts, changemakers and youth and indigenous activists will convene to discuss ways to work toward a sustainable future.

Methane emissions negatively impact plant growth

As we recognize World Food Day, we want to highlight the inextricable link between climate change and food security. While agriculture and food security are affected by climate change, agriculture is also the largest single-sector contributor to methane emissions. Knowing methane is a major contributor to near-term global temperature increases, the IPCC is calling for a 34% decrease in methane emissions by 2030.

Here's why that matters to food security: methane in our tropospheric ozone actually stunts plant growth. So, reducing methane emissions is critical to improving crop yields and ensuring food security.

No wonder agriculture ministers from over 20 countries met in April 2023 at the first Ministerial Conference on Low Emissions Food Systems to discuss opportunities and cooperation to reduce methane emissions from the agriculture sector. As Martina Otto, Head of the Secretariat of the Clean Air and Climate Coalition, said during the closing session of the conference, “Cutting methane in the agriculture sector in order of 20-25 percent is not only achievable, but also necessary for food security reasons.”

Solutions exist today

We agree wholeheartedly that these methane emissions reduction goals are achievable. It’s the very reason for our existence.

A recent Global Innovation Needs Assessment (GINA) report outlines viable ways to immediately reduce methane from agriculture and the food system. Published by the ClimateWorks Foundation and Global Methane Hub, a blog post summarizing the report shows that most methane emissions from the food system – which accounts for 60% of global anthropogenic methane emissions – originate from three sources: livestock farming, food loss and waste and rice cultivation.

Source: https://www.climateworks.org/ginas-methane/

Under “innovations drive methane emissions reductions,” it highlights feed additives as a technology that directly reduces methane emissions in a significant way.

Source: https://www.climateworks.org/ginas-methane/

Our Methane Tamer™ Beef Feedlot is one such feed additive – and it’s designed specifically for beef and dairy cattle in feedlot operations. To develop our additive, we combine cutting-edge climate technology with a commitment to sustainable animal agriculture, providing a solution that benefits the environment, agriculture, and the food industry – without compromising on productivity. This balance between environmental responsibility and commercial efficiency reflects our unique approach to problem-solving.

Just as the GINA report underscored, we recognize that reducing methane emissions in the agriculture sector requires a multi-pronged approach involving government, food producers, farmers, and innovative companies such as ours. We urge you to read the full GINA report, along with recommendations for its recommendations for policy makers and those in our policy paper: Enteric methane reduction in the US: An opportunity for rapid impact. Together, we can achieve the methane emissions reductions that will ensure food security around the world for generations to come.