Birgit Gredler-Grandl is a senior researcher at Wageningen Livestock Research in the Netherlands. Specialising in animal breeding, her work focuses on methane emissions and feed efficiency in dairy cattle. Her research aims to enhance these key traits through genetic selection, contributing to more sustainable livestock production.

Recently, Gredler-Grandl visited CIHEAM Zaragoza as the scientific coordinator and lecturer of the advanced course “Cattle breeding for low methane emissions: From farm measurement to genetic progress”.

On this occasion, we spoke with her about methane reduction and the key research initiatives she is involved in.

Question: How does animal breeding contribute to methane reduction?

Answer: Animal breeding is one of the most effective tools for reducing methane emissions because its impact is cumulative and permanent. Once we start selecting for lower methane emissions, the benefits carry forward with each generation. In fact, we have already made progress by selecting traits correlated with methane reduction, such as longevity. However, direct selection for lower methane emissions is essential to maximize impact.

The process works by identifying and selecting animals that emit less methane as parents of the next generation. Their offspring inherit this genetic advantage, gradually reducing emissions over time. To achieve this, breeders calculate breeding values, which help farmers select animals with desirable traits. However, estimating breeding values with high accuracy requires extensive data collection. This is where our work in the EU project Re-Livestock comes in.

Measuring methane emissions is complex and costly. Unlike collecting a simple DNA sample, gathering accurate methane emission data requires significant effort. By pooling data across countries, we can improve breeding value accuracy and advance genetic solutions.

Q: What is the Global Methane Genetics Initiative, and how will it contribute to reducing methane emissions?

A: One major initiative addressing this challenge is the Global Methane Genetics Initiative, recently launched in the Netherlands with funding from the Bezos Earth Fund and the Global Methane Hub. With a $27 million investment and over 50 partners across 25 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., South America, Africa, and Europe, this initiative aims to accelerate genetic progress in methane reduction. It includes more than 25 dairy and beef cattle breeds, as well as small ruminants like sheep.

The initiative has three main objectives:

• Bringing experts together to share data, protocols, and best practices for measuring methane emissions;

• Increasing the number of animals recorded for methane emissions, with a goal of more than 100,000 phenotyped animals in the next five years;

• Creating a Global Database to support breeding programs, genetic evaluations, and research, fostering collaboration between scientists and industry.

This initiative will be a game-changer in making livestock production more sustainable through genetics.

Q: Why is it important to reduce methane emissions in livestock?

A: We are witnessing more extreme weather events driven by climate change. Greenhouse gases, including methane, are a major cause of global temperature rise.

Livestock is one of the largest methane emitters in agriculture due to natural digestive processes. When cows digest fiber, they release methane through belching, which directly contributes to atmospheric warming.

Given this, the livestock sector has a responsibility to be part of the solution. By reducing methane emissions through breeding and other strategies, we can help mitigate climate change while ensuring sustainable food production.