The agrifood sector is an important player in the global fight to reduce GHG emission and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Livestock supply chains contribute about 14.5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and cattle are responsible for about two-thirds of that total, largely due to methane emissions resulting from rumen fermentation. In one year, the amount of methane a dairy cow produces is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from a mid-sized vehicle driven 20,000 kilometres. (Stats Can)

Reducing methane emissions from cattle could represent up to 30% of global methane emissions, and technology that reduces these emissions (while improving productivity) could play a significant role in the mitigation of climate change. (Reference: “Livestock Solutions for Climate Change”)

What is Synergraze?

Tamara Loiselle, CEO of Tamarack Strategies, believes that their cattle feed additive “Synergraze” provides the solution. Synergraze is a feed additive that prevents cows from belching methane while maintaining a healthy, productive stock. “It’s a GasEx for cows and there is nothing like this on the market. ” says Loiselle.

While the product is at the point of pilot scale production and will scale up to larger scale feedlot demonstration in the next 12 to 18 months, there is already a great deal of interest in the company and the technology. (Tamarack Strategies was the winner of the recent “Pitch Night” competition in Calgary, AB hosted by Foresight and PlatformX).

And for good reason - there is a global push on the go toward reducing GHG in agriculture and livestock farming. For example, California has passed legislation to reduce emissions in cattle, and many regions are putting stricter laws in place around GHG emissions in agriculture practices. In an effort to adhere to the new GHG laws, many livestock operations are investing in bio-digesters or complex feed or reproductive management systems.

But Loiselle believes that dietary modifications that change fermentation patterns, such as what Synergraze provides, is one of the most effective ways of methane abatement. The impact could be substantial. For example, in Alberta, there are 4.9 million head of cattle in the province. If only 20% were on the Synergraze additive, that would reduce the GHG emissions substantially - the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road.