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Tom Breen
New Zealand's Ruminant Biotech says that while it has big goals, the scale of the problem it seeks to solve requires it.
The company aims to have 100 million cows across the globe using its Emitless bolus technology by 2035 to reduce the enteric methane produced by cows.
“We’re starting local, with a focus on working closely with Kiwi and Aussie farmers to deliver a solution that’s practical, impactful, and easy to adopt,” Tom Breen, chief executive of Ruminant Biotech, told Dairy News.
He says that from there, the company will scale up to meet growing overseas demand as more countries seek out proven, science-backed methods of reducing emissions without compromising animal welfare or productivity.
“If we can reach 100 million cows with Emitless, the climate impact would be equivalent to taking 20 million cars off the road. That’s the scale we’re aiming for,” Breen says.
Emitless is a bolus that sits in a cow’s rumen and slowly releases an active compound over the course of more than 100 days.
“This compound is a naturally occurring organic molecule that’s been synthesised to ensure purity and consistency. It works by temporarily blocking a key enzyme that methaneproducing microbes need to do their job, so instead of releasing methane, the animal digests feed more cleanly,” says Breen.
“This compound is a naturally occurring organic molecule that’s been synthesised to ensure purity and consistency. It works by temporarily blocking a key enzyme that methane- producing microbes need to do their job, so instead of releasing methane, the animal digests feed more cleanly.”
He says it is easy to use and doesn’t require any special infrastructure.
“It’s the kind of tool farmers can adopt at scale, and that’s exactly what we need if we’re serious about reducing emissions from agriculture.”
The product won the Prototype Award at the recent Fieldays Innovation Awards, something Breen says is an “important signal” that the technology is market ready.
“It’s especially meaningful to have this progress recognised by the Fieldays judges, not just for the strength of our science and product development, but also for our understanding of the regulatory and commercial environment we’re entering,” he says. “That kind of feedback reinforces that we’re building something both practical and impactful.”
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