China to join other countries in implementing cattle supplement that reduces methane emissions

Photo: smspsy/Adobe Stock

Bovaer, a feed additive for cattle that reduces their methane emissions, was approved in the United States by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year.¹ Since its approval, the product has become commercially available in the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and much of Latin America.² In the US, Canada, and Mexico, Elanco Animal Health Inc licensed the product.¹ More recently, the Chinese dairy operator China Modern Dairy Holdings entered into an agreement with dsm-firmenich—a supplier of nutritional products and the original developer and marketer of Bovaer—to implement Bovaer in its operations, marking this the first agreement of its kind in China.^1,2

This methane-reducing additive for cattle is a novel method for addressing the issue of livestock methane emissions, according to dsm-firmenich.² Methane is the most common and potent greenhouse gas in the dairy sector and cows generate this gas in their digestive tract, and release it when they burp.²

According to data from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, methane produced from cattle digestion and stored manure accounts for approximately 45% of agricultural emissions nationwide, or about 4.5% of total emissions in the US.³ According to dsm-firmenich, the use of Bovaer can reduce methane emissions in the dairy industry by around 30%.² Moreover, administering Bovaer to 1 million cows would cut methane emissions by an amount equal to taking more than 285,000 cars off the road for a year, according to a news report.¹

Bovaer comes in the form of a powdered feed supplement. It works by inhibiting an enzyme responsible for methane production, thereby decreasing the methane released by each animal.¹ The key component in the additive is 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP).¹

Bovaer in China

In November 2023, China rolled out a plan, ‘Methane Emission Control Action Plan’, to decrease its methane emissions across various industries, including agriculture. To support this initiative, China Modern Dairy Holdings, a dairy farming operator in the country, will be supplying milk with a lower environmental footprint to its clients. Among those clients is China Mengniu Dairy, a top 10 global dairy company.²

Moreover, as part of its support for the implementation of the Methane Emission Control Action Plan, China Modern Dairy Holdings signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with dsm-firmenich.

“We are excited to commence preparations to enter the Chinese dairy market. We are on track to submit our Chinese registration dossier for Bovaer later this year and hope to gain approval in the coming years,” said Mark van Nieuwland, senior vice president Bovaer at dsm-firmenich, in an organizational release.²

“The collaboration with Modern Dairy will help us to tailor our offering and go-to-market model for the Chinese market, and we are happy to work with the industry leaders on this topic. Preparation work will start now, while we await local market authorization for commercialization,” he continued.²

References

1. Hanson M. What can we really expect from Elanco’s new Bovaer? Farm Journal. June 24, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2024. https://www.dairyherd.com/news/education/what-can-we-really-expect-elancos-new-bovaerr
2. Modern Dairy and dsm-firmenich to collaborate on dairy sustainability with methane-reducing feed additive Bovaer. News release. dsm-firmenich. August 29, 2024. Accessed September 11, 2024. https://www.dsm.com/anh/news/press-releases/2024/2024-08-29-modern-dairy-and-dsm-firmenich-to-collaborate-on-dairy-sustainability-with-methane-reducing-feed-additive-bovaer.html
3. Mayerfeld D, Fulwider W. Parrish A. Methane emissions from livestock and climate change. University of Wisconsin-Madison Crops and Soils Division Extension. Accessed September 11, 2024. https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/articles/methane-emissions-from-livestock-and-climate-change/