Joint Research on Reducing Methane Emissions from Cow Burps Using Seaweed "Asparagopsis"
On May 20, 2024, Sunshiki Co., Ltd. signed a joint research agreement with Riken Food Co., Ltd.※1 and Kochi University. Sunshiki is working on the development of a feed supplement derived from Asparagopsis, and aims for early commercialization by leveraging Kochi University's seedling technology and Riken Food's expertise in land-based aquaculture.
※1 Riken Food is a subsidiary of Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd., engaged in the manufacturing of seaweed products such as "Fueru Wakame-chan" and "Wakame Soup," as well as research related to seaweed cultivation.
About Seaweed "Asparagopsis"
"Asparagopsis" is a type of red algae widely found in tropical to temperate marine areas. It has been confirmed that mixing 0.2% of this seaweed into cattle feed can reduce methane emissions by up to 98%※2. Therefore, feed containing Asparagopsis has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, and startups and research institutions worldwide are working to establish mass production technology for Asparagopsis. We expect that this collaboration among the three parties will bring innovation to the production of Asparagopsis and contribute to the sustainability of the livestock industry.
About Sunshiki
Sunshiki is a startup that delivers seaweed-based products worldwide using Japanese seaweed technology. https://www.sunshiki.com/
Background of the Research: Methane Emissions from Ruminant Animals
Microorganisms in the stomachs of ruminant animals, such as cows, produce methane during digestion, which is primarily released into the atmosphere through burps. Methane has 28 times the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide, and the methane emitted by the billions of ruminant livestock worldwide accounts for about 5% (CO2 equivalent) of the total global greenhouse gas emissions※3. To mitigate climate change, some countries have set reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, seeking solutions to this issue.
Relationship Among the Three Parties
Sunshiki and Kochi University have already succeeded in establishing the cultivation technology for Asparagopsis※4. Additionally, since 2018, Kochi University and Riken Food have built a good relationship through their participation in the JST-OPERA project, where they developed seedling production technology for land-based cultivation of the green algae Monostroma nitidum (Hitoegusa)※5.
※2 Robert D. Kinley, et al. "Mitigating the carbon footprint and improving productivity of ruminant livestock agriculture using a red seaweed". ScienceDirect. 2020-06.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652620308830
※3 Overview of greenhouse gases | US EPA. (2024, April 11). US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases
※4 Sunshiki and Kochi University announce conference presentation on cultivation of seaweed “Asparagopsis”, effective for reducing Livestock-Derived methane emissions. (2024, April 6). Retrieved May 20, 2024, from https://www.sunshiki.com/posts/8XObi-4w
※5 Establishment of Monostroma nitidum seedling production technology (2024, March 18). News Release from Riken Vitamin Co., ltd. https://www.rikenvitamin.jp/news/detail/20240311161229.html (Japanese only)