War on Methanogens based on Flawed Reasoning
Millions of taxpayer dollars are being poured into research aimed at suppressing methanogens — the microbes in livestock that produce methane. The justification? Government-funded research groups claim these organisms are “not essential” and merely “opportunists.” [1]
Nothing could be further from the truth. Methanogens are vital specialists within the rumen. They remove hydrogen produced during fermentation, keeping digestion stable and efficient. Without them, fermentation could slow or stall — and ruminants would be less efficient at converting grass into milk and meat. Far from being opportunists, methanogens are the keystone of rumen function.
Yes, methane is a greenhouse gas, but the idea that livestock methane is driving global increases remains unproven. Satellite data consistently show that the largest methane emissions come from the Northern Hemisphere — linked to fossil fuels, industrial activity, and natural wetlands. Ruminants are only one of many contributors.
Suppressing methanogens risks undermining animal health, productivity, and New Zealand’s pasture-based food system — all for uncertain climate gains. We should be extremely cautious before disrupting a biological partnership that has worked effectively for millions of years.
Just as we would hesitate to take a product that disrupts our own gut microbiome — knowing how vital it is to our health — why would we introduce something to our animals that interferes with theirs, especially when it offers them no health benefit just the possibly of less belching?
References
References:
[1] Reducing New Zealand’s Agricultural Greenhouse Gases: Methane Inhibitors. NZ Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre, Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium. 2017. www.pggrc.co.nz/files/1501479614891.pdf
“In the rumen, methanogens modify the fermentation process, but they are not thought to be essential to the host animal. They are opportunists…” (NZAGRC/PGGRC Fact Sheet)