United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
6202J
EPA 430-F-94-013B
September 1994
oEPA
USDA
Ruminant Livestock
Methane Program
Opportunities for the Beef Industry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are working together
with livestock producers to improve the
efficiency of livestock production.
This initiative has important economic
benefits for livestock producers and
their customers, the American public.
The program also reduces emissions
of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Even though U.S. livestock indus-
tries have the most efficient animal production systems in the
world, there is still room for additional improvements. A rumi-
nant can lose from 2 to 12 percent of the energy from its feed to
the production of methane. By avoiding this loss, dietary energy
Efficiency is the central
theme of the ruminant
livestock methane program
is made available for growth or lactation. As a result, livestock
producers will benefit economically from higher calving rates,
better calf growth, faster heifer maturation,
higher milk yields, and healthier animals
while saving on veterinary bills and other
costs. In turn, consumers will benefit from
less expensive products. The environment
also benefits because this program reduces
the threat of global warming.
The Ruminant Livestock Methane
Program is a key component of President Clinton's Climate
Change Action Plan, which promotes efficiency and American
resourcefulness to avert the threat of global warming.
Efficiently Managed Beef Cattle = Reduced Methane Emissions
The demand for leaner, safer, and
higher quality food by the American
consumer is changing the way ruminant
animals are being managed. These changes
also create opportunities to reduce methane
emissions by improving efficiency of
animal production. Market factors, com-
bined with a slowly expanding national
herd, are leading to lower cattle prices
and tougher competition. As profit
margins become narrower, producers
need to pursue every possible means
to reduce unit costs.
Methane production in cattle repre-
sents a loss of dietary energy. All cattle
produce methane as feed is digested in
the rumen and methane then is exhaled.
Furthermore, some cattle produce more
Production
Efficiency
than others. Although very productive
animals produce large amounts of
methane, the amount of methane they
produce per unit of product compared
to less productive animals is very low.
Poorer nutrition generally contributes
to higher methane emissions. The best
way to reduce methane emissions from
cattle in the U.S. is to improve produc-
tivity. Because the demand for animal
products in the U.S. is relatively stable,
fewer animals would be required to
meet market demands.
There is much potential for improv-
ing efficiency in the cow-calf sector. For
example, producers aim for about 90
calves for every 100 cows, with the
national average about 80. In some
regions, however, producers average
fewer than 70 calves per 100 cows.
Improving the nutrition of breeding
heifers and cows will promote faster
conception and easier repeat breeding
the following year. It will also lead to
and sustain higher calving percentages
and heavier weaning weights. Keeping
these factors as high as possible mini-
mizes both methane emissions and unit
costs of production.
Changing producers' attitudes
toward livestock methane production
is a challenge for the 1990s! EPA and
USDA are striving to elevate the level
of awareness of the economic and
environmental benefits of livestock
methane reduction.
Costs
Production
Efficiency
Costs
54
Methane

Methane
1 990
2000

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The Ruminant Livestock Methane Program: How Does it Work?
This voluntary program is designed to help livestock produc-
ers in key regions of the country to improve the productivity
of their operations. Land-grant universities and USDA research-
ers are conducting regional assessments to identify improved
management practices, technologies, and marketing options
that will improve productivity while reducing methane emis-
sions. In conjunction with these studies, extension services will
promote the most profitable and appropriate options for reduc-
ing methane emissions from beef cows. Local conservation
districts will promote cost-effective livestock management plans
that will improve animal performance while enhancing forage
resources.
Outreach activities for this program will include keeping
producers informed, integrating results into existing extension
programs, evaluating the effectiveness of extension activities,
developing management tools for producers to survey their
operations and assess productivity options, and conducting
hands-on demonstrations.
The Strategy
EPA and USDA will undertake
targeted research, demonstration
projects, and outreach efforts to
reduce methane emissions from beef
cattle. These efforts all emphasize
increasing animal productivity and
reducing producer and consumer
costs. A number of management and
marketing improvements have been
identified as having large potential
for this program.
Benefits
Productivity—Healthier calves, heavier
weaning weights, and savings on feed
means profit for producers.
Lower Retail Costs—As costs of
production are reduced, consumers will
enjoy lower meat prices.
Healthier Products—Leaner products
will be produced as the industry wins
the "War on Fat."
Environment—Methane is reduced and
soil and water quality are conserved
through improved grazing manage-
ment.
Management
Improvements
Better Grazing Management
Strategic Supplementation
Better Feed Efficiency Through Production-Enhancing Technologies
Better Genetic Characteristics
Improved Reproduction
Better Health Through Disease Control
Promoting
Lower Fat Products
Support the "War on Fat"—the Industry's Initiative to Reduce Excess
Fat Production
Regional Assessment:
Inter-mountain West
Utah State University is conducting a
3-year study to evaluate the impact
of various grazing and livestock
management practices on production
and methane emissions. Specific
areas of investigation include estab-
lishment and management of alterna-
tive forages, varying grazing intensity,
and an alternative production strat-
egy where a feeder animal reaches
slaughter weight at about 9 months
of age.
Future Fact Sheet
Opportunities for the
Dairy Industry
For more information contact:
RecycM/Racyclable
Printed with Soy/CanoJa Ink on paper that
contains at (east 50% recycled fiber
Greg Hendricks, USDA-SCS
Ecological Sciences Division
P.O. Box2890, Washington DC20013
Phone 202 720-0436 • FAX202 720-2646
MarkOrlic, EPA
Global Change Division, 6202 J
401 M. Street NW, Washington DC 20460
Phone 202 233-9043 • FAX202 233-9569

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