Vaccine Cuts Cow Methane Emissions

A start-up has developed a vaccine that cuts methane emissions from cow burps, and it has plans for a commercial launch within three years, New Scientist reported.

Cows given the prototype vaccine produced 12.9% less methane over 105 days.

Cattle produce methane as a byproduct of fermenting grasses and hay in their rumen, the first part of their digestive system. Agriculture is the biggest source of human-caused methane pollution globally, largely driven by the burps and farts of the billion cattle farmed worldwide.

US company ArkeaBio has spent the past 18 months developing a vaccine to target methane-producing bacteria in a cow’s digestive system.

Cows given the prototype vaccine produced 12.9% less methane over 105 days, according to results from a 2023 trial seen by New Scientist, with no adverse side effects or disruption to growth rates.