Scientists and breeders worldwide team up to slash methane emissions from livestock under $27.4m initiative

15 / 04 / 2025

By Marwa Nassar - -

Scientists and breeders across the globe are joining forces for the first time to slash methane emissions from livestock under a $27.4m initiative.

Backed by $19.3 million from the Bezos Earth Fund and $8.1 million from the Global Methane Hub, the new initiative will fund research and breeding programs across North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania to help herds emit less methane – naturally.

The funding will support grants that deliver the tools to identify low-emission cattle and sheep based on biological traits; and help breeding programs select animals that are naturally more climate-efficient.

“Reducing methane from cattle is one of the most elegant solutions we have to slow climate change,” said Dr. Andy Jarvis, Director of the Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund. “Thanks to collaboration with the Global Methane Hub, we’re backing an effort that uses age-old selection practices to identify and promote naturally low-emitting cattle – locking in climate benefits for generations to come.”

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas – more than 80 times as powerful as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Cattle are the largest contributors to livestock-related methane emissions. But even within a single herd, some animals emit up to 30% less methane than others. Scientists say selecting and breeding for these traits – just as farmers have done for centuries for milk yield, fertility, or disease resistance – can lead to substantial, permanent emissions reductions across the industry.

Because methane-efficient animals are selected using traits that already exist in herds, this approach won’t need farmers to change how they feed or raise livestock, making this an easy, no-cost way for agriculture to contribute to climate progress.

“This initiative is a cornerstone of a broader global push to accelerate public-good research on enteric methane,” said Hayden Montgomery, Agriculture Program Director at the Global Methane Hub. “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.”

These efforts will screen more than 100,000 animals, collect methane emissions data, and scale up low-emission breeding practices across public and private breeding programs.