Hacking cow burps
Volta Greentech is on a mission to work with the beef and dairy industry to reduce emissions to mitigate global warming
Livestock are responsible for 14.5% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, two-thirds of which is emitted by the planet’s 1.5 billion cows. Cow burps – not farts – are responsible for the release of a considerable amount of methane into the atmosphere. While carbon dioxide may be the most prevalent greenhouse gas, methane is much more potent. Volta Greentech, a Swedish startup, wants to provide farmers with the means to drastically reduce the methane emissions produced by dairy cows and beef cattle. According to the startup, their feed supplement can reduce methane emissions up to 80%. The product, Volta Seafeed, is based on a blend of red seaweed and includes bioactive compounds that block one of the enzymes responsible for methane production in the cow’s stomach. Volta Greentech says that their supplement eliminates the majority of the methane gas emitted in every burp. In 2022, they plan to produce enough Volta Seafeed to feed 12,500 cows daily.
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