A cow releases up to 160 kilograms of methane gas per year through belching. Methane gas warms the atmosphere 28 times more than carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. Researchers from the Scottish Rural College (SRUC) have succeeded in breeding a new breed of cow that is more environmentally friendly because it produces less methane gas.
The cow, named Hilda, was bred through The Cool Cows project specifically to reduce the impact of “greener” cow farming. This is to help the UK achieve its net zero emissions target by 2050. The agricultural sector contributes to 12% of greenhouse gas emissions, most of which comes from the animal husbandry sector.
Hilda was bred using IVF techniques with changes made at the genetic level. The cow's stomach carries out a fermentation process to process sugar. Among the side effects of this process is methane gas. The genetic changes in Hilda make it more “methane efficient” and will be used as the basis for breeding other animals that also produce less of this gas. With less gas produced, the next generation of cows in the UK will also be less burpy.