Colorado State University’s AgNext program launches new open-access sustainability calculator: Feed Additive Calculator Tool (FACT) for Beef

For Immediate Release

DATE: February 15th, 2024

Fort Collins, Colorado: Colorado State University’s AgNext research collaborative is excited to announce the launch of a new sustainability tool that can be utilized in beef systems across the beef supply chain. Dr. Sara Place, Feedlot Systems Specialist and Associate Professor has created an open-access tool, the Feed Additive Calculator Tool (FACT) for Beef that can be utilized by farmers, ranchers and feeders to better understand their methane emissions as well as how the use of methane inhibitors may effect profit margins.

Cattle naturally produce methane in their rumen, but at varying levels based on their forage consumption and other dietary factors. Feed additives will likely be available soon to reduce methane further, however, these additives will likely create a new costs for farmers, ranchers, or feeders, but if used, may produce the opportunity for eligible for carbon credits or payments received for adopting specific protocols for carbon reductions. 

Producers may be asking themselves what the development of carbon markets, carbon storage and greenhouse gas emissions may mean for their ability to do and enhance business. In the coming seasons and quarters, markets for these types of products will likely start to emerge. This tool from AgNext can help farmers, ranchers, and feeders to best determine both their baseline methane emissions and how new additives may impact their bottom line, animal performance, and the operation’s methane contributions.

Dr. Place has extensive market experience with the creation of these types of markets from her time in industry and is excited to offer a free and open-access tool for producers to be best assess the opportunities these new markets may hold. 

To learn more about this tool please visit our website and watch this video on how this tool works and what you can learn from it.

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