Unless you’re completely out of the loop, you’ve likely seen all the uproar on social media around Bovaer. This chemical additive, designed to reduce methane emissions from cattle, has caused a whole lot of controversy. But is methane from cows (cow farts) really the problem we’re being told it is? The thing is, it’s not about the cow—it’s really about the how.
What Exactly Is Bovaer?
Bovaer claims to reduce methane emissions from cattle by tinkering with their digestion. The additive can upset the delicate microbial balance in a cow’s rumen, potentially leading to health issues for the animals, and it’s also been shown to have harmful impacts on male fertility in some reports. Even more concerning is what’s driving this solution: powerful interests that profit from industrial farming practices, which are far more destructive to the environment than the methane cows naturally produce.
The Methane Myth
Cows and other ruminants like sheep and goats have been producing methane through their natural digestion process for thousands of years. It’s an ancient, finely tuned system that allows them to turn tough, fibrous plants like grass into nutrients. Methane is an inevitable byproduct of this process, but methane from cows hasn’t suddenly become an issue. The real problem lies in big corporations and their unsustainable farming practices.
Industrial agriculture has disrupted this balance by confining cattle to feedlots, feeding them unnatural diets of corn and soy, and overgrazing lands into total depletion. Instead of letting cows graze on diverse grass pastures, and fertilising the land naturally, they’ve been forced into systems harmful to our poor cows and the planet.
Remember: cows are meant to eat grass! Just grass. It’s what their stomachs are made for.
Feedlots: A Problem Much Bigger Than Methane
Feedlots are at the heart of industrial farming. In Australia alone, there are about 450 accredited feedlots, with 60% located in Queensland and 30% in New South Wales. These barren lands confine cattle, feeding them grain-based diets instead of the grass they’re naturally built to eat.
This system creates a host of problems:
Animal welfare: Feedlots prevent cows from grazing and resting as they would in nature. Many don’t even provide shade, leaving cattle exposed to extreme heat.
Antibiotic use: To prevent diseases caused by overcrowding and the abrupt diet switch from grass to grain, 90% of feedlot cattle are given antimicrobial agents, contributing to the global rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
Environmental harm: The concentrated nature of feedlots accelerates land degradation with so much waste concentrated in one place. Instead of contributing to building the soil (as it does in regenerative farming), cow manure and urine in feedlots is an environmental disaster. If the runoff reaches streams it can pollute waterways, cause algal blooms and harm fish and other aquatic life. This also spreads the synthetic chemicals and hormones used in the cows diet - everywhere.
How Cows Can Heal the Environment
Cattle, when living on regenerative farms, are an essential tool for environmental restoration. Their grazing habits and manure work wonders to build the soil structure, increase water retention and add nutrients to the soil.
On regenerative farms, cows graze on diverse pastures, fertilising the soil and promoting healthy ecosystems. These systems:
Sequester carbon: Grasslands with deep-rooted plants capture and store carbon underground. This is an actual method of reducing the impact of climate change!
Build resilient soil: Healthy soil retains moisture, resists erosion, and supports biodiversity, making it more resilient to extreme weather. Conventional farms on the other hand are seeing massive erosion - to the point that they will not have any living soil remaining if they continue to use the same methods of farming.
Reduce reliance on chemicals: By working with nature, regenerative farms eliminate the need for harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. The cows are free to enjoy the food they enjoy best - unpolluted grass!
The Greenwashing Problem
Big corporations love to disguise things like Bovaer to appear eco-friendly, but they’re missing the bigger picture. In reality, Bovaer does nothing to address the underlying issues of industrial agriculture. Worse, it distracts from real solutions that work in harmony with nature and increases the chemical additives (with massive side effects) making their way into our food.
The Real Solution: Regenerative Farming
Farmers like Randal & Juanita Breen from Echo Valley Farm are a bright beacon of hope in these dark times where greedy corporations continue to defile the land to make a profit. On regenerative farms like Echo Valley Farm, cattle roam freely on grass-rich pastures - they ONLY eat chemical-free grass! These farms don’t just reduce emissions; they actively heal the land, foster biodiversity, and produce more nutritious and better-tasting food.
Many believe (and we agree) that regenerative farming IS the answer to our environmental crisis. Instead of extracting resources, it replenishes them. It’s a win for the environment, the animals, and our farmers.
How You Can Help
As consumers, we have the power to make choices that change the food system. By supporting local, regenerative farmers, we’re voting for a food system that’s:
Kind to animals: Pasture-raised livestock live healthier, happier lives.
Good for the planet: Regenerative practices rebuild soil, sequester carbon, and promote biodiversity.
Fair to farmers: Small-scale, sustainable farmers thrive when we choose their products.
Here’s how you can make a REAL difference:
- Choose grass-fed and grass-finished meat: Look for labels that guarantee cattle were raised on pasture, not in feedlots.
- Support regenerative farmers: Seek out local farms or businesses that champion regenerative farming and who are passionate about doing good for the world and the community.
- Ask questions: Don’t be shy about inquiring where your food comes from! You have a right to know what’s been done to your food.
The real solution to climate change doesn’t come from a lab—it comes from the ground up. By supporting regenerative farming, we’re not just reducing emissions; we’re rebuilding a food system that works in harmony with nature. While it’s causing a lot of upset, particularly here in Australia, we’re seeing this as a bit of a wake-up call, because it means people are becoming more aware of what’s in their food and not just taking the word of big corporations who often use greenwashing to trick us into supporting actions that are harmful to us, our animals and the planet.
Educate yourself with these documentaries:
References:
https://daily.jstor.org/can-cows-help-mitigate-climate-change-yes-they-can/
