Bezos Earth Fund Backs Low-Methane Livestock Plan

In a significant step towards climate-smart agriculture, the Bezos Earth Fund and Global Methane Hub have collaboratively introduced the Global Methane Genetics initiative—a $27.4 million global effort to breed animals that emit naturally lower methane. This groundbreaking initiative, involving no shift in agricultural practices or animal feed, could reduce global livestock methane emissions by as much as 30% within the next 20 years.

Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases, some 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide within a 20-year time frame. Livestock, particularly cattle, are huge methane producers, primarily because of a digestive process known as enteric fermentation. Yet studies have discovered that not all cattle emit methane to the same degrees; in reality, some emit up to 30% less methane than others within the same herd. By recognizing and breeding these naturally low-emission livestock, researchers believe they can develop lasting cuts in methane emissions without sacrificing productivity and while saving traditional farming methods.

"Cutting methane from cows is one of the most beautiful solutions we have to decelerate climate change," stated Dr. Andy Jarvis, Director of the Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund. He highlighted that this solution not only leverages centuries of selective breeding techniques but also offers a very scalable, low-barrier climate solution for farmers globally.

The Global Methane Genetics project will sort over 100,000 cattle and sheep worldwide for low-methane characteristics, record detailed methane emission data, and incorporate these characteristics into breeding. Importantly, this will be achieved without imposing new costs or the need for adjustments in feed or production practices, meaning that farmers will be able to profit from the innovation without interruption.

This project is a foundation of a wider global effort to speed up public-good research on enteric methane," stated Hayden Montgomery, Global Methane Hub Agriculture Program Director. In his view, the project will provide the foundation for an open-access, globally coordinated breeding infrastructure that can benefit the entire livestock sector.

The $27.4 million in funding is split across a number of institutions across continents, echoing the initiative's international scope and ambition. The Bezos Earth Fund is investing heavily, with a $2.34 million investment in the University of Nebraska to further low-methane beef genetics in U.S. cattle. A further $4.85 million goes to the Angus Foundation to incorporate low-emission characteristics into breeding programs in North America, Oceania, and Europe. Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands is being awarded $8.7 million to develop low-emission dairy production in four cattle breeds, and the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya is being awarded $3.35 million to work on methane-efficient indigenous African cattle.

The Global Methane Hub, via its Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator, is supporting complementary initiatives, such as $1.7 million to the National Agricultural Research Institute in Uruguay to fund methane-efficient beef projects in Latin America. The University of New England in Australia will be supported by $2.4 million to investigate low-emission sheep breeding in Europe, Oceania, and Latin America. An additional $4 million is funded to enable rumen microbiome sampling and analysis in all of the funded projects—a key ingredient in determining the role of gut microbes in emitting methane.

With participation from more than 50 institutions across more than 25 nations, the effort is a collective response to one of agriculture's largest climate challenges. The global partnership seeks to establish a uniform, scientific basis that farmers, breeders, and researchers everywhere can utilize to advance methane efficiency. The long-term effect could be substantial: cutting livestock methane emissions by 1–2% per year, adding up to a 30% reduction by 2045.

Wageningen University & Research Professor Roel Veerkamp underscored the collaborative program, saying, "This work congregates the best of science, industry, and the global breeding community to expedite genetic advancement for methane efficiency globally."

The approach of the initiative is particularly farmer-friendly. In contrast to other climate interventions that might involve new technologies, changed diets, or additional financial investment, this breeding program leverages current practices and draws on the traditional expertise of livestock breeders. It presents a gentle but revolutionary way of cutting emissions, one that is likely to catch on without opposition from the farming community.

“Together with the Bezos Earth Fund, as part of the Enteric Fermentation R&D Accelerator, we’re building an open, coordinated foundation that spans countries, breeds, and species – delivering practical solutions that reduce emissions and support farmers worldwide,” Montgomery emphasized.

By quietly applying genetics and science to enhance methane efficiency, the Global Methane Genetics initiative could redefine the environmental impact of the livestock industry—permanently and in a sustainable way. This effort is not only an advance in farm innovation, but a powerful witness to the role of collaborative, science-driven solutions in confronting climate change.