Beef Cattle

Rural America is Facing a Mounting Labor Crisis

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:02:49 GMT

The American labor market is reaching a critical turning point that could tighten labor availability in rural industries and slow growth across the U.S. economy. A new quarterly report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange warns that demographic shifts and recent policy changes may start impacting businesses as soon as late 2025.

From livestock and crop operations to food processors and rural cooperatives, this labor shortage is becoming especially noticeable in the heart of America’s farmland. Many producers are already struggling to fill roles, and the challenge is expected to intensify in the coming months.

“Barring an unforeseen change in labor force participation rates or immigration policies, the pool of available workers is set to shrink sharply in the next few years,” says Rob Fox, director of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. “The problem will be even more serious in states with slower population growth in the Upper Midwest, Corn Belt and Central Plains.”

Demographic Pressures Mount

Fox says the warning signs have been building for years. Labor force participation has steadily declined, birth rates have dropped and immigration policy has become more restrictive.

Between 2022 and 2024, nearly 9 million immigrants arrived in the U.S., driven by global humanitarian crises and relaxed federal rules. While that influx temporarily eased labor constraints, Fox says it only masked deeper, long-term trends.

U.S. fertility rates have fallen from 2.12 children per woman in 2007 to 1.62 in 2023, meaning fewer young people are entering the workforce just as the last of the baby boomers retire. In addition, labor force participation has slipped from a peak of 67% in 2000 to 62% today. Nearly 2.5 million working-age Americans have left the labor force in the past eight months alone.

“There is no single reason people are stepping away,” Fox explains. “It’s a combination of rising caregiving responsibilities, job skill mismatches, mental health challenges and higher disability rates. These are complex issues that won’t be resolved overnight.”

Shrinking Workforce Hits Agriculture Hard

The effects are already being felt across rural America. Farms, food processors, equipment dealers and cooperatives are struggling to find and keep the workers they need to maintain daily operations. Seasonal labor has become harder to find and full-time positions, especially those requiring specialized skills or long hours, are increasingly difficult to fill.

In regions with slower population growth, such as the upper Midwest and central Plains, the challenge is even more acute. These areas often lack the population inflows that help offset workforce losses elsewhere in the country.

While labor has been tight for several years, Fox warns that conditions are poised to deteriorate further.

“What we are facing is not just a cyclical labor issue; it’s a structural one,” he says.

Border encounters have dropped sharply since August 2024, signaling a steep decline in immigration. Combined with rising political pressure to increase deportations, the agricultural labor pool could shrink even more in the months ahead.

“Immigration has long been a key pillar supporting the rural workforce,” Fox notes. “Without a steady flow of new workers, farms and agribusinesses will have to get creative, either by increasing wages, automating tasks or changing how they manage production.”

Technology Offers a Path Forward

In response, more agricultural businesses are turning to technology to help offset the labor gap.

“The key to addressing labor scarcity always lies in innovation,” Fox says. “AI and robotics are no longer limited to the factory floor. They are increasingly being used in fields, dairies and food plants.”

A recent Gallup poll found that nearly one in five workers already uses artificial intelligence in some form each week. At the same time, the cost of robotics has dropped by nearly half in the past decade, making automation more accessible for a broader range of farms and agribusinesses.

CoBank’s report notes that many farm supply customers are using new tools to increase efficiency, improve decision-making and free up time for employees to focus on higher-value responsibilities.

Planning for What Comes Next

As producers look toward 2026, a combination of labor constraints, volatile input costs and shifting policy landscapes will continue to shape decision-making. Fox thinks adaptability will be essential.

“Technology will be critical to agriculture’s future,” he says. “AI and robotics can help farmers do more with fewer workers, boosting efficiency and margins. But investment decisions must be made carefully, especially in this uncertain economic environment.”

Until clearer policies emerge on trade, labor and energy, rural America will need to prepare for continued pressure.

“This is a pivotal moment,” Fox concludes. “Farms that plan ahead, embrace innovation and stay flexible will be best positioned to succeed.”

Rollins Says USDA Will Announce Application Process for $21 Billion in Disaster Aid Within Days

Wed, 07 May 2025 18:44:02 GMT

In her first hearing on Capitol Hill since the confirmation process earlier this year, Secretary Brooke Rollins faced the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, fielding questions on everything from USDA’s bold budget cuts and frozen funding to the fate of the nearly $21 billion in disaster aid.

Rollins fiercely defended the cuts, continuing to argue that it is a way to make USDA more effective and more efficient. She also told the committee that farmers will be able to sign up for the disaster aid by the end of May.

Congress approved the disaster aid on Dec. 21, 2024. While the $10 billion in Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) was passed the same day, it was separate and came with a clear deadline on when USDA had to disperse those funds. In the hearing this week, Rollins admitted the disaster aid program has been more complicated to roll out.

“That one’s a little more complicated than the ECAP, the disaster or the emergency relief payments, but we’re really close and within a matter of days or weeks, certainly by the end of this month, that money will begin moving,” Rollins said on Tuesday.

The nearly $21 billion in disaster aid targets agricultural losses from natural disasters in 2023 and 2024, which includes:

Droughts
Hurricanes
Floods
Wildfires
And other extreme weather events.

Of those funds, $2 billion is earmarked for livestock losses attributed to droughts wildfires and floods. There is also an allocation of $220 million that will be distributed through block grants to smaller agricultural states with limited farm income and acreage.

“We are within days of announcing the application process,” Rollins said. “Of course, that’s a little more complicated because we don’t have the specifics, and it isn’t, as [Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.] mentioned, in North Dakota, 15,794 of your farmers and ranchers have received money through that first tranche, through the first $10 billion, the emergency aid. On the weather-related programs, that application opens in the next week or two. And we will be moving very, very quickly.”

.@SecRollins testifies before Congress: "When farmers prosper, rural America prospers." pic.twitter.com/rXwV12JPDD
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 6, 2025

According to Pro Farmer, the disaster aid is intended to cover losses in revenue, production quality, and infrastructure for crops, livestock and timber. And most of the aid is expected to be administered through USDA’s Emergency Relief Program (ERP), which has been used for similar disaster relief in previous years. However, USDA has indicated the new program will be more farmer-friendly than the Biden administration’s implementation of the last ag disaster funds.

Rollins says the rollout of the disaster aid funds is “a long time coming,” bacause it is related to disasters that happened as long as two years ago.

“And so ensuring that we get that out as quickly as we possibly can with the team that we have in place,” Rollins said. “I’m really proud of, I believe, how efficiently and how quickly the team moved out that first tranche. And I believe that you’ll see the same sort of efficiency and effectiveness with the second tranche, so it’s within the coming weeks.”

Rollins Fiercely Defends Cuts at USDA

Also in the hearing, Rollins defended recent budget and DOGE cuts, saying her team is eliminating what she called wasteful DEI spending, fraud and abuse in all USDA programs. She argued the plan is to rebuild USDA to put farmers first.

Rollins also discussed some frozen funds at the agency and when a review of them will be completed.

“We are working around the clock, going line by line, we’re down to the final 5 billion out of, I believe, almost 20 billion of frozen funds, but $5 billion is a lot of money,” Rollins said. “And when you think about that in terms of grant or contract and moving that out quickly, we’re very helpful to keep moving through that very, very quickly and have that done very soon.”

Rollins was also asked about the 15,000 USDA employees who have taken buyout offers from the federal government . Reports show that accounts for nearly USDA’s total workforece, and impacts farmer-facing agencies such as Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency.

“The 15,000 number, it is less than 15% of our total workforce,” Rollins said. “I realize that’s still a very, very big number. But I think it’s important to realize in the context that every year USDA, through attrition loses between 8,000 and 10,000 employees. So, it’s a massive government agency, but they’re refilled. Well, and that’s what we are looking to refill. The front liners, that’s I was talking about right now. So whether it’s FSA, APHIS, the Wildland Firefighters, those are through a memorandum I just signed, we are actively looking and recruiting to fill those positions that are integral to the efforts and the key front line.”

Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., followed up and asked, “So, you let people go, and you’re looking for new people to fill the positions that they had experienced in?”

“We’re having those discussions right now,” Rollins said. “We are working with all of you around the country, in your states. We believe our firefighters are operationally ready for wildfire season. Our FSA offices, we are making things more efficient, but bringing on new people that could potentially be a game changer in those offices.”

The workforce reduction is part of the federal government’s current Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), which is the voluntary program that allows eligible federal employees to resign in advance while continuing to receive pay and benefits until Sept. 30.

Rollins then clarified and explained the 15,000 USDA employees who accepted the buyouts, weren’t employees who were fired, they were resignations.

“None of those people were fired,” she added. “So, if they want to come back, and if they were in a key position, then we would love to have that conversation.”

Rollins said the latest round of DRPs, which happened in April, USDA didn’t accept some of the resignations, specifically if those employees were in what Rollins called “key positions,” which includes APHIS, FSA, etc.

“We are very intentionally approaching this,” she said. “Have we done it perfectly? No. Any type of whole scale change, and big effort to basically realign an entire government agency is difficult. And we know that, and we know it hasn’t been perfect, but we’re working every day to solve for a lot of this, and I think we’re making a lot of really good progress.”

USDA Spends $400 Million a Day on Food Assistance Programs

The other hot button topic during the hearing was food assistance. The secretary pointed out USDA spends more than $400 million a day on food assistance programs and said ending COVID-era funding programs doesn’t mean defunding food assistance.

You can listen to her pointed comments in the video below.

USDA alone spends $400+ MILLION each day on food assistance programs.

Ending COVID-era funding programs doesn’t defund food assistance. It ensures we’re good stewards of taxpayer dollars. pic.twitter.com/3lT7Fu6or9
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) May 6, 2025

Trump Administration Celebrates Earth Day by Spotlighting 'Unfair Trade Practices' That Harm Environment

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 15:32:20 GMT

The United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Office took to social media to celebrate Earth Day, but with a twist. In honor of Earth Day, the Trump administration outlined a list of 10 “unfair trade practices that harm the environment and undercut U.S. producers and exporters.” Of the 10 items on the list, two directly mentioned agriculture.

The No. 1 issue, according to USTR, is deforestation in Brazil. The Trade Representative’s office says deforestation in Brazil reached a 15-year high in 2021, which was driven by “weak environmental regulations and lax law enforcement.” They went on to say that due to those issues, Brazilian ranchers were given an unfair advantage in agricultural production.

“In 2024, the U.S. had an agricultural trade deficit with Brazil of $7 billion. Brazil is a major competitor with the U.S. in soybeans, corn, meat, poultry and other agricultural products,” the official United States Trade Representative’s posted on X on Tuesday.

In honor of #EarthDay, USTR is spotlighting 10 unfair trade practices that harm the environment and undercut U.S. producers and exporters. pic.twitter.com/4xdJfVa1tN
— United States Trade Representative (@USTradeRep) April 22, 2025

To fully understand the issue, you must first understand just how massive the forest area is in Brazil.

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world with a surface of 850 million hectares. That’s twice as big as the European Union. And nearly two-thirds of that is occupied by forest.

Deforestation has been a long-standing issue within Brazil. In fact, the Brazilian Amazon has the highest rate of deforestation of the planet. The ecosystem, which is known as one of the richest on Earth, is massive. A study based on satellite images by the National Institute for Space Research of Brazil (INPE) found a total loss of 72 million hectares since 1970, or 17% of its total area.

Deforestation Fuels Growth in Brazil’s Beef Production
Deforestation in Brazil is directly tied to agricultural production, really impacting commodities like beef and soybeans.

For beef production, ground zero for deforestation is in the Amazon and Cerrado regions. Cattle ranching is known as a major driver of deforestation, with ranchers often clearing new land for pasture as existing pastures become less productive, leading to a cycle of forest conversion.

The map shows the amount of forests around the world replaced by cattle, which paints the picture of just how severe the situation is in Brazil.

(World Resources Institute )

According to the World Resources Institute, cattle replaced nearly twice as much forest as all other commodities combined. The Institute analyzed seven commodities total, finding cattle pasture now occupies 45.1 million hectares (Mha) of land deforested between 2001 and 2015, accounting for 36% of all tree cover loss associated with agriculture during the time period.

Oil palm ranks second (10.5 Mha), followed by soy (8.2 Mha). The number has only grown since then.

The Role of Deforestation in Brazil’s Growing Soybean Production
When it comes to soy production, deforestation in regions like the Mato Grosso state are linked to deforestation as land is cleared for soy plantations, according to the World Resources Institute.

But it’s not just deforestation leading to the explosion in growth of soybean acres in Brazil. Based on geospatial databases, a recent study led by Embrapa found approximately 70 million acres of planted pastures in Brazil with intermediate and severe levels of degradation that have the potential for conversion into cropland. Pasture degradation is caused by overgrazing, insufficient weed and pest control, and lack of soil fertilization and occurs in practically all regions of Brazil.

The report by Embrapa also found a conversion of 70 million acres of degraded pasture to cropland would represent nearly a 35% increase in Brazil’s total planted area compared with the 2023/2024 crop season projection by the National Supply Company (Conab) – Brazil’s agency for food supply and statistics.

According to University of Illinois farmdoc daily , in Mato Grosso, which is Brazil’s largest agricultural state, the planted area could increase by 25% compared to the 2023/2024 season by converting degraded pastureland into cropland. Currently, soybeans and corn occupy more than 90% of the crop-planted area in Mato Grosso in the double-cropping system.

Additionally, in the Center-West states, the potential for agricultural expansion is notably higher in Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás, reaching 69% and 67%, respectively, compared to the acreage in the current crop season.
·
#7 Environmental Issue on the List: Mexico’s Avacados
The U.S. is the top destination for Mexico’s avocado exports. USTR says in 2023, those exports were valued at $2.7 billion, and some of that production was harvested on illegally deforested lands.

“Some Mexican avocado producers have expanded avocado production to illegally deforested lands, threatening biodiversity and disrupting local ecosystems, including the forest habitat of monarch butterflies,” USTR said on “X.”

Fair Trade USA Serves Up Solutions
It’s a known issue within the produce industry. According to Farm Journal’s The Packer , Fair Trade USA is offering solutions to producers and retailers seeking ways to improve environmental and human rights conditions in the avocado sector.

The Packer reports an estimated one-third of all avocado farms in Mexico are reported to be illegal farms, and up to 70,000 acres in Michoacán and neighboring state of Jalisco have been deforested for avocado farming in the last decade, the release said. Fair Trade USA said water reservoirs are being illegally emptied to support farming, and farmers who speak out against deforestation and working conditions are often at risk.

The organization said western demand for avocados has grown exponentially over the last decade, and people and the planet are paying the price. Forced to keep pace with what farmers call the “avocado gold rush,” negative environmental impacts are rampant in many avocado farming regions — for communities as well as production.

“Fair Trade USA exists to partner with farms, workers, retailers and brands to create safe and fair working conditions and protect the environment,” said Felipe Arango, who was serving as interim CEO for Fair Trade USA. “Strong standards are needed to better the avocado industry, and we are excited to partner with producers to certify more farms and improve the lives of farmers.”

Avocado Institute of Mexico Rolls Out “Path to Sustainability” Plan
The Avocado Institute of Mexico announced their “Path to Sustainability” last week. The plan includes dealing with deforestation. The summary of the plan includes:

Collaboration with governmental authorities to achieve net-zero deforestation by 2035.
The Avocado Landscape Restoration and Reforestation Project, which has planted more than 3.6 million pine trees in the Avocado Landscape.

“We are dedicated to protecting, managing, conserving and restoring forests in the Avocado Landscape to achieve net-zero deforestation,” the Avocado Institute of Mexico said.

Pro-Forest Avocado Program
There’s also another program to help wean Mexican avocado growers off the need to produce avocados on illegally deforested land. According to Grist , there’s a Pro-Forest Avocado program, which is a Mexican initiative to certify sustainably grown avocados. An estimated 10% of avocado packing houses that send avocados to the United States have signed on to the Pro-Forest Avocado program. However, it has roadblocks to increasing participation.

According to Grist, the first is that growers must pay for the certification, while packagers get it for free. This has made many growers feel like they have to comply with standards and pay for them to offload produce at all. There’s a lot of distrust among producers of the government as well.

For this program, qualifying growers must have had no deforestation since 2018, no forest fires since 2012 and not operate on protected land.

Your Next Read:

Brazilian Soy Exporters Want Changes to Deforestation Regs

Tariffs Aren’t Going To Be Our Largest Trade Issue

Report shows Mexican avocado imports fuel U.S. economic growth

Goodbye, La Niña? Eric Snodgrass Dissects What the Shift Means for Weather This Spring and Summer

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 12:23:44 GMT

La Niña is weakening, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) expects neutral conditions to develop in the next month . But even with La Niña fading, meteorologists are still concerned about drought this spring and summer.

NOAA this week said forecasters expect ENSO-neutral conditions to develop in the next month and persist through the Northern Hemisphere’s summer. According to NOAA, La Niña’s signature is cooler-than-average surface water in the east-central tropical Pacific, stronger-than-average trade winds, and drier conditions over the central Pacific.

ENSO-neutral means conditions could be close to average, but Eric Snodgrass, Nutrien’s principal atmospheric scientist, says that doesn’t mean the weather will be normal this spring and summer.

“I do expect changes,” Snodgrass says. “Think about it like this: The previous winter was an El Niño winter, and it was very mild and very wet. So, we got into spring ’24 with tons of moisture. I mean, Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota flooded out. Then we had this incredibly dry fall as the La Niña began, and it reached a peak twice. It actually hit a peak in December, and then a secondary peak about a month later at the end of January. It’s been fading ever since. The big question is, as we go into neutral conditions for this upcoming growing season, is it going to be one that paints a picture of precipitation extremes? Did it leave us with any sort of kind of problems from winter that are carrying over?”

Snodgrass says the severe weather outbreaks on Friday, that brought high winds, dust storms and wildfire warnings across the Plains, is a reminder how dry it is in the Southwest.

“We’ve got major pockets of the country that are still dealing with some pretty big drought conditions. It is fading, and that is a signal we have to pay attention to,” Snodgrass says.

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey is also concerned about what impact the shifting pattern will have on farmers this spring. But it’s not just the dryness. It’s also the fact areas are getting inundated with rains that could pose problems.

“With this stormy weather pattern in place, that is going to create some difficulty for spring field work in some areas. It looks like the primary storm track may be through parts of the middle of the country extending into the lower Midwest and eventually the interior northeast. That is one area where we already have fairly wet conditions,” Rippey says.

How sea surface temperatures in the Niño-3.4 region of the tropical Pacific changed over the course of all La Niña events since 1950 (gray lines) and 2024-25 (black line). This shows the traditional calculation for Niño-3.4, the monthly temperature compared to the most recent 30-year average (1991–2020 for the 2024 line). By this measure, the La Niña threshold was crossed in December 2024, but La Niña remains weak.

(NOAA)

La Niñas and El Niños Are Strongest in the Winter
Snodgrass points out La Niñas and El Niños are always strongest in Northern Hemisphere’s winter, which means they fade in spring and summer.

While La Niña-like conditions were a trademark in late fall, we didn’t reach the official definition of La Niña until January.

“The atmosphere way back in November was already treating our winter timeframe like a La Niña,” Snodgrass says. So, we were getting the influences of it as it comes in and goes out. And now the question is, what’s it going to do?”

February 2025 sea surface temperature compared to the 1985-1993 average. The surface of the east-central tropical Pacific is slightly below average temperature, but much of the global ocean remains warmer than average.

(NOAA )

“This is a great map to look at,” Snodgrass says, referencing the map above. “If you focus right in the middle, you see the large area of the cooler colors. Our line is now shifting to the central and West Pacific and behind it over by South America. All of the warmer water is beginning to emerge. And that’s what’s killing it because there’s a trade wind across that area from the east to the west. We’re going to watch this fade carefully during the spring. But the question is: Do we get winter’s leftovers?”

What Fueled the Dryness This Winter?
During the winter, Snodgrass points out there was no subtropical jet. That’s what fueled drought in the Southwest and Northwest.

“I’m actually kind of worried about the beginning of April having another shot at cold air after what we’ve been experiencing in March, which has been so very, very mild. Then you say, well, we’ve had so much dry air in place. Are we still worried about more dry air coming back? To be honest, these big storm systems coming through the central U.S., if we could get four, maybe five more of those by early April, we’re going to hate it. It’s nasty weather. It’s not fun, and it’s dangerous, but it returns moisture. That could be part of the mix of things, including the fading of La Niña that could help bring us away from these major early season drought risk scenarios.”

55% of corn production, 46% of soybean production, 33% of the cotton growing area and 27% of the winter wheat production are currently experiencing drought.

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

Growing Drought Concerns
What if it doesn’t? What if we don’t see more of this severe weather hit the Southwest and Plains, and moisture remains absent as we get into the height of spring? Well, the area will enter into the height of the growing season dry and reduce their chances of seeing moisture this summer.

“That’s a box we check every spring,” Snodgrass says. “If the drought monitor saw a reduction in drought over winter, then that gives us a different look for spring. But what we see here is two-thirds of the country in some stage of drought, including the abnormally dry category. But it’s the epicenters of drought that are so concerning. Look at the Western Corn Belt. Look at the Southwest. We just wonder if that funnels into the Mississippi Valley as we go forward.”

At the same time some areas are seeing drought, Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas and the boot heel of Missouri are all experiencing heavy rains and flooding.

“By May 11, I want to know what the drought monitor map looks like. If it looks no different, then I’m going to be sounding alarms going into summer with concerns this will start to creep and move because as soon as we get into the summer weather, all we get is convective storms pop off. And what do they do? They just locally deliver rain - not big broad swaths of it,” Snodgrass says.

Tale of Two Weather Scenarios
He says the forecast leading up to May 11 is a tale of two weather patterns, with the Mississippi River being the dividing line for moisture.

“If you are along it and east of it, I think we’re going to have tight windows to plant. You could include a little bit more of Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota in that as well,” Snodgrass says. “I think we’re going to see repeated storm systems. The best moisture is east. It keeps avoiding that southern plains area.”

What to Watch: Where the Storm Chasers End Up
Snodgrass says if storm chasers are busying chasing severe weather across the Ohio Valley, the mid-south and the southeast, but not in Kansas and the Plains, that’s a key indicator there’s a problem with the moisture getting back into the plains.

“If it’s not there by the time we start June, it’s very difficult to rely on the atmosphere to return it once you get into the summer months if you live in the central plains, which is where they could build from,” he adds.

To watch the complete discussion with Snodgrass, visit Farm Journal TV and take advantage of the free trial.

Your Next Read:
Ag Meterologists Worry More Drought Lies Ahead For Spring

DocTalk: Wintertime cattle nutrition and water management

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 04:42:48 GMT

Dr. Dan Thompson speaks with Dr. Chris Reinhardtabout wintertime nutrition and water management for beef cows for feedlot cattle.

Myths vs. Facts

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 04:43:14 GMT

Myth: Farmers and ranchers leave their cattle to fend for themselves in frigid winter conditions, such as the polar vortex.

The Facts: Winter is tough on all of us - every living thing is struggling to stay warm in the sub-zero temperatures that the polar vortex has caused across the nation. However, there are several steps farmers and ranchers take to ensure the best care possible for their livestock.

We know it’s cold across the country. Read more about how livestock producers take care of their cattle during the winter. ( factsaboutbeef.com/2014/01/07/how-are-farmers-and-ranchers-taking-care-of-their-cattle-during-winter-storm-ion/ )

Methane: Can Farmers Lead The Way To Lower GHGs?

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:38:47 GMT

“The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) within agriculture is enteric fermentation – i.e. the methane produced by livestock during digestion and released by belches. In 2011, this accounted for 39 percent of the sector’s total GHG outputs.” April, 2014 – UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO)

The good news is that, through a group effort between Switzerland’s AgriTech firm Mootral SA and a growing number of farmers, it is now possible to lower the amount of livestock-based methane (CH4) being released into the atmosphere.

Methane – The history

Scientists have shown that methane from any source – wetlands, industry, transportation or agriculture - has around 80 times the global warming potential (GWP) of CO2.

So some years ago, when the impolite global warming habits of dairy cows and beef cattle first hit the headlines, the cry immediately followed that we should change our diets and stop eating beef.

Fortunately for farmers, milk-lovers, butchers and backyard barbeque aficionados, the pendulum soon regained its equilibrium.

That didn’t mean the warnings could be ignored, though, because, for 20 years after the creation of any CH4 emission, the resulting greenhouse gas is far more intense than any caused by our better-known nemesis - carbon dioxide (CO2).

So although reducing all greenhouse gases remains an urgent global objective, the Mootral team believed that lowering the type of methane discussed by the UN Food & Agriculture Organization could be one of the fastest ways to achieve significant results.

On that premise, and knowing that 14.5 per cent of total emissions arise from a cow’s four-stomach digestive process, Mootral set out to prove that modifying a cow’s traditional diet by including natural-source supplements could significantly reduce the overall amount of methane produced.

Mootral - The supplement

With varying degrees of success, many different supplements – including certain types of seaweed - have been tried for more than a decade. Unfortunately, while some recipes showed promise digestion-wise, farmers’ costs to implement them have been discouraging.

“Our team met those challenges head on,” says Mootral’s Head of Digital Marketing, Kate Seiler.

“Our scientists found that, depending on breed and farming practices, by including only 10-15 grams/day of our proprietary mix of natural garlic and citrus-based ingredients in the feeding regime, a steer’s CH4 emissions can be reduced by up to 38 per cent,” she explained.

“In part, Mootral does that by killing off some of the bad bacteria in the cow’s digestive system. This, in turn, preserves the animal’s energy and boosts its milk and protein production,” she said.

In turn, research at the University of California, Davis, found a 23% reduction in methane production “over 12 weeks when supplemented with 15g of Mootral,” said Ermias Kebrab, director of the World Food Center and a professor of animal Science at UC Davis.

Notably, Mootral has no adverse effects on the good bacteria so crucial to proper digestion of the feed material in the rumen – the animal’s first stomach.

The cost at present is around $70 annually per cow, but the proven reduction in CH4 emissions may allow farmers to claim the benefits of carbon offsets.

Mootral – An opportunity for farmers to lead the way?

Until restraints imposed by the coronavirus pandemic caused a hiccup in their plans, the Swiss firm and its Welsh sister, Neem Biotech, were poised to ramp up their activities across North America in early spring 2020.

Undaunted, and despite gloomy predictions that some farms might have a tough time surviving the trials of COVID-19, the consortium adjusted its approach to accommodate what has fast become the ‘new normal’. Today, they are again ready to seek active support from farmers and investors to pilot Mootral in dairy and beef farms across the country.

“Farmers are close to the land,” Seiler said. “They and their families depend on a pollution-free climate not only for themselves but also to promote and conserve a healthy agricultural world for future generations,” she said.

“Small or large, no matter the size of the operation, we invite all dairy- and meat-industry players – including researchers and governance - to contact us, learn more, and join our goal to have the agricultural sector lead the battle against climate change – cow by cow and farmer by farmer – as Mootral lowers methane emissions and atmospheric greenhouse gases the natural, affordable way.”

Elizabeth James is a freelance writer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada.