Methane is over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years, and cattle are the largest contributors to livestock-related methane emissions. However, cattle herders in the vast African Savannah, where millions of pastoralists depend on livestock for their livelihoods, could soon become frontliners in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts by selecting the right cows.
Through a new international collaboration with the Bezos Earth Fund and the Global Methane Hub, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) will bring scientific solutions to farmers by harnessing natural variation in how animals digest food. The new $27.4 million global initiative targeting North America, South America, Africa, and Oceania will help farmers identify and breed naturally low-emitting cattle.
While cattle are the main source of livestock methane, within the same herds some animals naturally emit up to 30% less methane than others, and according to scientists, selecting and breeding for these lower-emitting animals – just as farmers have long done for milk yield or fertility – can lead to permanent reductions in climate impact.
This initiative is in tandem with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change global methane pledge, which seeks to slash methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, crucial in meeting the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C.
Lauding the collaboration, Dr. Andy Jarvis, Director of the Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund, said reducing methane from cattle is “one of the most elegant solutions we have to slow climate change.”
“We’re backing an effort that uses age-old selection practices to identify and promote naturally low-emitting cattle – locking in climate benefits for generations to come,” he added.
The Breakthrough
Hayden Montgomery, Agriculture Program Director at the Global Methane Hub, said the initiative is a cornerstone of a broader global push to accelerate public-good research on enteric methane.
“Together with the Bezos Earth Fund, as part of the Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator, we’re building an open, coordinated foundation that spans countries, breeds, and species – delivering practical solutions that reduce emissions and support farmers worldwide,” said Hayden.
ILRI’s leadership in the Global Methane Genetics Initiative, together with its contribution to the Low Methane Forage project, highlights its central role in delivering integrated, climate-smart livestock solutions for the Global South. Through these two complementary efforts, ILRI is tackling enteric emissions from both the genetic and nutritional fronts—two of the most promising and scalable strategies for mitigating livestock emissions without compromising productivity.
ILRI’s Director General, Appolinaire Djikeng, applauded the move, saying, “By harnessing the power of genetics and data, we are equipping farmers with the tools to breed more productive, resilient, and lower-emission animals.”
Because these traits are already present in existing herds, farmers won’t need to change their feeding practices or invest in new infrastructure with this approach, making it easy to participate in climate solutions without disrupting daily operations.
Over time, this approach could reduce methane emissions from cattle by 1.0–2% each year – adding up to a 30% reduction over the next two decades – without changing diets, infrastructure, or productivity.
Prof Roel Veerkamp, leader of the initiative at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) said the initiative fits with WUR’s mission to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life.
“This work brings together the best of science, industry, and the global breeding community to accelerate genetic improvement for methane efficiency worldwide,” he said.
The initiative is part of the Global Methane Genetics initiative – an international collaboration working to make methane efficiency a standard part of livestock breeding. The effort will screen more than 100,000 animals, collect methane emissions data, and integrate findings into public and private breeding programs to deliver long-term, low-cost climate benefits.
