The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, announced it is joining a new $27.4 million global initiative to reduce methane emissions from livestock by harnessing natural variation in how animals digest food.

Backed by the Bezos Earth Fund and the Global Methane Hub, the effort will support research and breeding programmes across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania to identify and scale climate-efficient livestock.

“This initiative is a cornerstone of a broader global push to accelerate public-good research on enteric methane,” said Hayden Montgomery, Agriculture Programme 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.”

ILRI’s leadership in the Global Methane Genetics Initiative, together with its contribution to the Low Methane Forage project highlights its central role in delivering integrated, climate-smart livestock solutions for the Global South. Through these two complementary efforts, ILRI is tackling enteric methane emissions from both the genetic and nutritional fronts – two of the most promising and scalable strategies for mitigating livestock emissions without compromising productivity.

While the genetics initiative promotes the selection of naturally low-emitting cattle across diverse African production systems, the Low Methane Forage project identifies and deploys anti-methanogenic, high-yielding tropical forages suited for smallholder and pastoral systems.

Together, these projects demonstrate ILRI’s commitment to advancing science-based innovations that are practical, inclusive, and tailored to the realities of livestock keepers in Africa and beyond. By aligning research, capacity building, and deployment with national and regional needs, ILRI is helping to shape a sustainable future where livestock systems are both productive and climate resilient.

The initiative is part of the Global Methane Genetics initiative – an international collaboration working to make methane efficiency a standard part of livestock breeding. The effort will screen more than 100,000 animals, collect methane emissions data, and integrate findings into public and private breeding programs to deliver long-term, low-cost climate benefits.

ILRI’s Director General, Appolinaire Djikeng, shares, “This initiative marks a turning point for climate-smart livestock development in Africa. By harnessing the power of genetics and data, we are equipping farmers with the tools to breed more productive, resilient, and lower-emission animals. It is a bold step towards aligning Africa’s livestock systems with global climate goals, while enhancing livelihoods and food security.

“ILRI is proud to lead this effort in close partnership with national and international collaborators including Agriculture Research Council, South Africa, the Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), Burkina Faso and Universite d’Abomey-Calavi, Benin.”

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 the same herd, some animals naturally emit up to 30% less methane than others. Scientists say selecting and breeding for these lower-emitting animals – just as farmers have long done for milk yield or fertility – can lead to permanent reductions in climate impact.

“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.”

Because these traits are already present in existing herds, farmers won’t need to change their feeding practices or invest in new infrastructure with this approach, making it easy to participate in climate solutions without disrupting daily operations.

“This work brings together the best of science, industry, and the global breeding community to accelerate genetic improvement for methane efficiency worldwide,” said Prof Roel Veerkamp, leader of the initiative at Wageningen University & Research (WUR). “It fits nicely with our mission at WUR to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life.”

Over time, this approach could reduce methane emissions from cattle by 1.0–2% each year – adding up to a 30% reduction over the next two decades – without changing diets, infrastructure, or productivity.