Dairy Farmers Cutting Back on Cow Burps to Fight Global Warming

Seriously. As comical as it sounds, research has found that cow gas, emanating from the front and not the rear of the animals, accounts for around 4% of US greenhouse gas emissions. And dairy farmers in Vermont are attempting to curb their bovine burps by reintroducing...

...more grasses into their cattle’s diets, grasses that have recently been supplanted by grain as the animals’ main food source.

The problem with grain is that cows should not eat it. Cows are ruminants, which means that like all grazing animals, cows have a large 45 gallon-sized stomach that ferments grasses and converts them into protein and fats. It has only been since the 1940s that farmers began feeding cattle corn and other grains. By feeding cows grain, farmers found that they could send the animals to market much sooner than if they fed them grass, thus earning a profit. But a cow’s stomach is not equipped to digest grain properly, and so a litany of stomach problems, including acidosis, E. coli and the dreaded cow belch, begin to emerge when cows are fed corn, soy and other grains. To counter the stomach problems, ranchers fill the animals with antibiotics, which can then make their way into our meat and milk and have the potential to create the “super bugs” that are resistant to antibiotics.

Since the federal government refuses to place any restrictions on cow burps, and corn subsidies are encouraging ranchers and farmers to keep feeding their livestock grains, it is up to individual farmers to make the choice to switch to grass-based diets. Not only will a grass-based diet cut down on emissions, but it is also a healthier choice for the cow and consumers. By feeding cows flax seed, alfalfa, and grass, all high in omega 3 fatty acids, farmers rebalancing the cows’ rumens and cutting down on the amount of gas being released. 

Their vet bills have also dropped since the introduction of grasses back into the cows’ diets. Farmers are reporting that their cows have healthier coats, less hoof disease, and virtually no stomach problems. Consumers can do their part by looking for dairy and beef products that are raised on grasses instead of feedlot grains. Not only will you be healthier, but you’ll also be helping in the fight against cow burps and global warming.




Sources:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/21/financial/f210143D82.DTL&tsp=1

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=adfzSLoI4Mf8
 
http://www.foodrevolution.org/grassfedbeef.htm