A generation of cows modified to fight climate change is approaching

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The fight against methane emissions , one of the main gases responsible for climate change, falls on the testicles of a genetically modified bull. Next spring the first cattle calves will be born, carefully selected to expel less CH4 into the atmosphere.

The Semex company began distributing semen from livestock spec Phone Number List imens to create a generation of environmentally friendly breeds. A Canadian farm will be the first to artificially inseminate 107 cows with carefully selected sperm. The same technique has already been imported into 80 countries, according to a Reuters report.

It is essential to address the problem of methane emissions from livestock. The livestock industry is responsible for 14.5% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. If breeding animals predisposed to emit less CH4 is successful, Canada could reduce its gas contribution by up to 50% by 2050, the company says.

Semex hopes that the generation of livestock species that expel less gas naturally is a better strategy than those currently implemented. Today, if farmers want to reduce CH4 without sacrificing rearing volume, they must feed animals feed full of additives. The benefits are achieved in the first digestion, but depend entirely on prolonged consumption of the food.

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The partnership between Semex, the Canadian Milk Registration Agency and Lactanet was responsible for the development of the genetic material. It is a joint effort that represents the culmination of seven years of scientific research.

The process to obtain the first generation of environmentally friendly livestock was long, but relatively simple. Lactanet implemented a genomic assessment of methane in cows from 6,000 farms based on a study by the University of Guelph and the University of Alberta on the amount of gases emitted by Canadian cattle.

The scientists compared cattle exhalations with genetic information from domestic cows and their milk samples. Based on the results, they took semen from males of species that produce less CH4 to promote generations where the rate of gas generation is repeated or decreased. This is a case of genetic manipulation where techniques based on lineage are used.



The University of Guelph animal bioscience professor who worked on the project, Christine Banes, likened the genomic screening effort to a product catalog. Analyzes now make it possible to determine which type of cow has environmentally friendly genes and explain its methane production rate. Interested farmers only have to choose the species to receive the selected sperm.

Although sales have already begun, the Semex project still does not have the approval of the Canadian authorities. Once the first generation of cattle is born, a series of extensive tests will begin to verify not only the reduction of gas, but also to check whether the animals are healthy and optimal for human consumption.