All Articles
Carbon

Cows Are Now Creating Carbon Credits

August 30, 2023
x min read
Cows Are Now Creating Carbon Credits

British-Swiss startup Mootral is reinventing the way the world thinks about carbon credits.

Mootral has developed a completely natural feed for livestock that reduces methane emissions. And now, it has its very own carbon credits.

Context:

  • Livestock farming is one of the largest creators of methane emissions globally
  • Mootral has a unique approach to solving this problem by changing the feed livestock consumes
  • Called Mootral Ruminant, early data has showed a 30%+ reduction in methane emissions from livestock
  • Further, feeding livestock Mootral Ruminant has no impact on the taste or texture of the meat

The big idea:

  • Mootral has developed the first ever methodology for quantifying and monitoring methane reductions for carbon credits
  • Verified and issued by VERRA, the global leader in carbon crediting, Mootral has created ‘CowCredits’ which equate to the same standards as a typical carbon credit
  • ‘CowCredits' are issued by VERRA and can be purchased by companies
  • The vision to create a positive ecosystem for farmers, beef and dairy companies and the climate, where reducing emissions has a net benefit to everyone

Going deeper:

  • The need for solving the emissions problem from livestock farming is not new, with numerous startups in cellular agriculture and food tech working on different approaches
  • Notably, Bill Gates and Breakthrough Energy Ventures led the $12 millionSeries A in Australian based Rumin8, which is focused on a range of supplements- largely derived from red seaweed- for  livestock that reduces their methane emissions
  • The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has put a large focus on reducing methane emissions, citing that over 2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year comes from livestock farming alone
  • Recently, a new study from Scotland Rural College was awarded $2.8 million in funding to determine if daffodils could reduce methane emissions by extracting a chemical from the plant called haemanthamine. Early data form the study shows that it could reduce methane emissions in cows by 30%

Discover the world's most disruptive early stage companies with 35,000+ investors.

The markets and trends that matter, made simple.

Join top talent at the world's most respected institutions, companies, and venture capital funds.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.