Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. This means that it has a high heat-trapping potential which traps heat in the atmosphere. In animal agriculture, methane is produced from two primary sources: enteric fermentation and manure management.

Enteric methane is a natural biological process of digestion in ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats. This methane represents energy from feed that the animal does not use. Learn more about the formation and impact of enteric methane in this fact sheet. There are a number of strategies that can be used to reduce enteric methane emissions. One strategy is feed additives. Feed additives can help reduce methane emissions from ruminant animals by targeting how methane is produced during digestion. This fact sheet highlights various feed additives and their role in methane reduction. In addition to feed additives, there are also dietary strategies that can be implemented to reduce enteric methane emissions. Diets higher in grains, added fats, or certain forages can reduce methane while boosting efficiency. This fact sheet outlines dietary strategies to lower emissions in both grazing and confined systems.

Manure is the second primary source of methane emissions in animal agriculture. There are a number of ways manure can be managed and the methane produced from these different management strategies varies. This fact sheet explores different manure management strategies and their relative methane production. There are a number of ways methane from manure can be mitigated. This fact sheet examines various mitigation methods and their tradeoffs in cost, efficiency, and environmental impact.