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title: "3.5.2 Example: Greenhouse gas emission; the development of a new trait in the breeding goal for cattle (2025)"
canonical: "https://wiki.groenkennisnet.nl/space/TAB/282427484/3.5.2%20Example%3A%20Greenhouse%20gas%20emission%3B%20the%20development%20of%20a%20new%20trait%20in%20the%20breeding%20goal%20for%20cattle%20(2025)"
format: markdown
---
According to the FAO, 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions comes from livestock farming. In the European Union, this figure is slightly lower: 13 percent. Methane produced by ruminants is the main contributor. In the Netherlands, two-thirds of methane emissions comes from agriculture: 77 percent from dairy cattle and 18 percent from pigs. In dairy cattle, 79 percent of methane emissions comes from fermentation processes within the animal and 21 percent from manure storage. The FAO has reviewed all options for reducing methane emissions and concludes that direct selection against methane emissions and indirect selection against them by increasing production appear to be the most successful.

![image-20251111-131930.png](media://ef4dc968-bd90-4005-8ef8-cab6594d81d0)

Dairy breeding organizations therefore are investigating the possibility of incorporating methane emission into their breeding goals to reduce this emission. Research is underway in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America to answer all methane related questions relevant to animal breeding.

Climate-controlled chambers can accurately measure animal gas emissions, but this is expensive, and can only be done with a limited number of animals. And the conditions in climate-controlled chambers differ significantly from those typically found in a barn or pasture. Therefore, "GreenFeed" and "sniffers" were developed. GreenFeed units are stand-alone units integrated into a concentrate feeder. They measure the gases and the quantitative airflow, which are used to calculate the methane and carbon dioxide production of individual animals. Sniffers are installed in automated milking systems (robots) to measure these gases during milking.

![image-20251111-132042.png](media://aaba6665-5c6e-4757-b912-3ee0d3c90487)