Methane-busting livestock feed additive Asparagopsis hits Australian market

A methane-busting feed additive made from the native seaweed Asparagopsis is now commercially available to Australian beef producers after four years of research and development.

Adelaide-based company CH4 Global made the first commercial sale of Asparagopsis in Australia last month, a move Meat and Livestock Australia has labelled “a significant step forward for the industry”.

Asparagopsis contains the bioactive chemical Bromoform, which can drastically reduce methane emissions when passed into the stomach of ruminant livestock.

Recent studies by the CSIRO, James Cook University and MLA found adding a small amount of Asparagopsis to a ruminant’s existing feed could reduce methane emissions by more than 80 per cent.

CH4 Global — which has developed a freeze-dried Asparagopsis-based feed additive — is one of only three licensees in Australia and six globally to be granted permission by global patent holder FutureFeed to commercially sell Asparagopsis.

FutureFeed was formed in August 2020 to commercialise the technology developed by the CSIRO, in partnership with MLA and James Cook University.

The company has been working to establish the foundations for a successful industry, including furthering the foundational science through research, development and trials subjected to rigorous peer-review.

Certification standards and a trademark are under development to “ensure the robustness and credibility of the value chain”, MLA said.

FutureFeed senior advisor Cassandra Kelly said the first commercial sales of Asparagopis in Australia marked “another significant milestone”.

“It’s both inspiring and humbling to reflect on how the industry has managed to engage the brains trust, community and investment support in just under four years to make a product launch like this a reality,” she said.

“Just a few years ago, Asparagopsis was a largely unknown seaweed that was not cultivated in commercial quantities and had very few applications outside of niche cosmetics and as a condiment in Hawaii.

“Now we are seeing a new industry with the capability to support local communities and the creation of jobs while working together to make a meaningful impact on methane emissions from livestock.”

CSIRO chief executive Larry Marshall said the latest milestone marked an “exciting turning point for translating breakthrough science into solutions”.

“CSIRO is proud to have been part of the FutureFeed journey, including going through our revolutionary ON program to accelerate the idea from benchtop to business,” Dr Marshall said.

MLA managing director Jason Strong said emissions avoidance was a critical component of the red meat industry’s ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

“MLA is continuing to work on a range of tools and technologies for producers to cost-effectively reduce emissions and increase productivity by demonstrating environmental stewardship credentials to customers, consumers and the community,” he said.

“We are proud to be working alongside FutureFeed in rolling out Asparagopsis to a range of commercial partners.

“Asparagopsis is one of many exciting tools the industry can embrace in working towards our goal of carbon neutrality at the end of the decade.”

Earlier this year, Perth company SeaStock Pty Ltd become WA’s first licensee granted permission to commercially sell Asparagopsis.

SeaStock is conducting extensive research to determine the most commercially viable and sustainable ways to grow, harvest and process the seaweed.

Asparagopsis has about a three-month growth cycle, with two varieties — tropical and sub-tropical — growing naturally along the WA coast.

However, cultivation could take place in the ocean or on-land, with the latter method involving pumping seawater onto a land-based operation with tanks and flow-through capability.

SeaStock has entered into a two-year research agreement with Flinders University to undertake cultivation and processing trials, with the first set to take place at the Abrolhos Islands.

Further trials are likely to take place in the Pilbara and at various locations on WA’s south coast.

SeaStock aims to sell its oil-based feed additive commercially within a year.