A new study initiated by JBS, in cooperation with the Animal Husbandry Institute of the Department of Agriculture and Supply of the state of São Paulo and Silvateam of Italy, is designed to see how tannins could reduce methane gas emissions from cattle.

With the global population set to reach an estimated 10 billion people by 2050, action on climate change with rising populations has pushed the livestock industry to improve their sustainability objectives in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Whilst there is an argument to say that livestock are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to GHGs, ruminants are nevertheless major contributors to the agricultural sector’s emissions and, according to the FAO, account for almost 6% of the global anthropogenic GHG emissions.

Towards the end of last year, JBS, the world’s second-largest food company, and the Animal Husbandry Institute of the Department of Agriculture and Supply of the state of São Paulo, formalised a partnership with plant-based extracts producer Silvateam. The aim of the collaboration will contribute to developing studies into the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the beef supply chain. One of the first studies will look at tannins, where they are known to reduce methane gas emissions by improving the efficiency of
the fermentation process from the animal’s diet.