CDFA AWARDS $9.2M TO INNOVATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS SEEKING TO REDUCE LIVESTOCK ENTERIC METHANE EMISSION

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SACRAMENTO, December 22, 2023 – The California Department of Food and Agriculture's Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (OEFI) is pleased to announce the award of $9.2 million in grant funding to six research projects under the Livestock Enteric Methane Emission Reduction Research Program (LEMER-RP). These funds, allocated by the Budget Act of 2022, support research that evaluates additives and dietary modifications shown to reduce enteric methane emissions in the dairy and livestock sectors. 

“California has been working for years in partnership with dairy producers to decrease methane emissions from manure storage,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “We’ve created a successful model that has made it feasible for dairy farmers to install anaerobic digesters and adopt other alternative manure management practices. We’re fortunate in this state to have legal and budgetary support from Governor Newsom to bolster those efforts and develop a workable plan to reduce enteric methane emissions.”

Enteric methane production is a natural part of the digestive process for ruminant animals like cattle, goats, and sheep, and it is belched into the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), capable of trapping 25 to 28 times more heat in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide. In 2020, dairy and livestock enteric methane emissions accounted for more than 11 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e) emissions per year in California, representing 35 percent of the state’s agriculture and forestry sector greenhouse gases. These emissions significantly contribute to climate change, requiring the development of effective strategies to reduce these emissions from livestock operations.

“Understanding the needs and challenges of farmers is crucial because these solutions have to be deployed at the farm,” said Vrashabh Kapate, Manager of Dairy Industry at Environmental Defense Fund. “We hope the LEMER-RP research funding will help identify safe, effective, and practical strategies to bring products to market that will benefit both the environment and farmers.”

Each awardee will conduct research based on four impact areas developed during a science summit in May 2023, ensuring a comprehensive and targeted approach to addressing this pressing environmental issue. For example, one funded project will evaluate the effect and efficacy of feeding 3-Nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) additive to dairy cows for one or more lactation cyclesin reducing enteric methane emissions.

“The research funding for enteric methane reduction in LEMER-RP will continue to ensure science is supporting innovation as the dairy industry continues to expeditiously reduce our environmental footprint,” said Darrin Monteiro, VP of Sustainability and Member Relations at California Dairies, Inc.

The complete list of grant awardees and project descriptions can be found on the LEMER-RP website at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/enteric/.

For any inquiries regarding this program, please email CDFA.OEFI_Enteric_Methane_Reduction@cdfa.ca.gov.

LEMER-RP is part of California Climate Investments (CCI), a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment– particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. CCI projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, please visit the CCI website at: https://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/cci-about.

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