Two Australian companies, CH4 Global and Sea Forest, have launched commercial trials of a seaweed-based ration supplement that makes cattle carbon neutral.
They have lined up trials with major dairy and beef companies in Australia and New Zealand, using intellectual property licensed to FutureFeed, CSIRO’s commercial venture.
The feed additive is made from the native asparagopsis seaweed species, which reduces livestock emissions by more than 80 per cent.
Market demand is being driven by farmers’ response to social pressure to tackle climate change, and Australia’s red meat industry has committed to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Sea Forest is growing asparagopsis seaweed, a cold water species, on converted mussel farm leases at Triabunna, Tasmania.
The company is selling its feed additive to dairy giant Fonterra for a trial on 2000 dairy cows, Sea Forest chief executive Sam Elsom said.
CH4 Global on South Australia’s York Peninsula grows seaweed on both land-based facilities and offshore leases.
It has an agreement with a South Australian abattoir and is supplying trials with sheep and dairy producers in Australia and New Zealand.
